Uninhibited
by RAC
Summary: There is a new Big Bad in Sunnydale: Xander. When Xander is sired, the world of the Slayer gets turned upside down. Rated R for violence and one (non-explicit) sex scene.
1. Part 1

**__**

Uninhibited

"I just don't understand this," says Buffy. Willow looks at her, not entirely certain what she is saying. Buffy takes a deep breath and then continues, " We've dealt with more vampires before. We've even dealt with more powerful vamps before. Why did he just disappear this time?"

"I… I don't know," says Willow. She has no idea why Xander disappeared. "I thought for certain he would have shown up by now. Maybe… Maybe we should call it a night?"

"How? I mean, what if he is hurt, and needs our help?"

  
"Are you sure it is Xander you are worried about?" asks Willow. She looks at her friend, and instantly regrets what she just asked. "I'm sorry. I—"

"No," says Buffy. "You're right. It is time to go home. We've searched this place so many times, I think I could go through the whole place blindfolded. We should call it a night."

"Buffy, I…" says Willow. Buffy holds out her hand, showing Willow that no words are necessary. "I know you are worried. I am, too. Xander is one of my best friends…"

"But?" asks Buffy.

  
"But, I think you are trying to force some evil to be involved here, because you are feeling so helpless over your mom being sick. I am sure that there is a perfectly logical explanation for all of this."

"I hope so," says Buffy. Willow can see that Buffy isn't convinced, but she doesn't want to argue anymore. With one last look behind her, she heads out of the cemetery, still wondering where Xander is, and why he disappeared in the first place. Buffy follows, her head hung in defeat. They both know that they won't be seeing Xander again any time soon, and the realization causes them both to lean on each other as they finally head for home.

***

Xander awakens in darkness. He sits up, and puts his hand to his head, groaning in pain. He senses that someone, or something, is nearby. "Hello?" he calls... Silence. But, he can tell that there is someone there. He is certain there is a person there... He is wrong. A blinding flash of light as the complete darkness is broken by the lighting of a torch. Xander looks up, into the eyes of his kidnapper. Into the eyes of... 

"Drusilla!" he exclaims as he desperately tries to back away. She giggles at him, as if there is some major joke, and he has yet to figure it out. He looks around. They are in a barren room. The walls, ceiling, and floor are made of cold, dark stone. She is standing between him and the door. He is trapped! 

"L-let me go!" says Xander, with a lot less authority than he was hoping for. To his surprise, Drusilla moves aside. 

"You are free to go, if you want..." she tells him. Cautiously, he stands up and walks to the door. Drusilla steps farther away from him, giving him plenty of room. Xander opens the door, and is partially blinded by the sunlight flooding the room. He steps into the doorway, and screams. 

Drusilla grabs him and pulls him back, patting him down to extinguish the flames. She leans in close, and licks his earlobe. Xander shudders. 

"I made you like me, lover..." Xander quickly reaches up to his throat, and feels the wound there. He pulls his hand away and stares in horror at the blood on his fingers...

"No," he whispers, almost to himself. Drusilla pouts as she looks at him.

"You don't like my gift?" she asks.

"Gift? You cursed me!!" he screams.

"I made you like me," she repeats.

"But... You're a monster!" he tells her. She is hurt. She turns away from him.

"So are you, then," she tells him, as she moves away from him and disappears into the shadows. Xander stands where he is, staring out the door, wishing he could wake up. He pinches himself, and realizes, to his horror, that it isn't a dream. He turns back into the crypt and looks for a place to sit.

Drusilla reappears, carrying a child. At first, Xander thinks that the child is dead. However, as Drusilla steps closer, he can see the slow, almost imperceptible rise and fall of the young girl's chest. Drusilla sits next to Xander. She runs her hand over the girl's hair and whispers soothingly in the child's ear. The scene surprises Xander, since he was unaware that Drusilla was even capable of such an act. Drusilla looks up at him and smiles. She morphs to her vampire guise and sinks her fangs into the child's neck.

"Oh my god!" screams Xander. 

"Your turn," Drusilla tells him as she pushes the child into his trembling arms. He doesn't want to, but the smell of the blood is more tempting than he would have thought. He fights his growing urge to bite the little girl in his hands. Drusilla stands up and walks over to him. She wipes some of the blood from her mouth, and places it on Xander's lips... Instinct kicks in, and Xander licks the blood from his lips, morphs, and savagely drains the child. When the girl is dead, he tosses her lifeless body aside and turns to Drusilla.

"Mmm... I want more," he says. She smiles and reaches out to him. "No," he tells her as he pushes her away. "I want more to drink. I need more."

"In time."

"Now. I want more now," he demands. He is getting impatient. She reaches for him again, and he grabs her arm, pulling her to him. She presses her body against him and coos. He kisses her passionately and then begins to lick a trail from her mouth to her neck. She wraps her arms and legs around him. He leans back against the sarcophagus. He tries to pull her even closer, and she is getting excited. She entangles her hands in his hair. He reaches up and grabs her hair. As he yanks her hair down, forcing her to lean her head back and expose her throat, he sinks his fangs into her neck and, despite her writhing and fighting, manages to drain her blood. He pries her limp, lifeless body from his own and casts her aside.

"Thanks, but... You just aren't my type," he says. He searches the crypt for a comfortable place to sleep, and slowly drifts off to sleep.

***

"Buffy, you have got to get some sleep," demands Giles. "Between the hospital, and taking care of Dawn, and your search for Xander, you haven't been getting any rest. It's making you sloppy."

"What do you expect me to do? Just give up on Xander? Not visit my mother in the hospital? Not take care of Dawn? None of those three things are going to happen!" screams Buffy. She knows she is being unreasonable, but doesn't care.

"No. I just want you to slow down, before something knocks you down. Willow and Tara have agreed to watch Dawn. Anya and I will continue the search for Xander. Even Riley has agreed to help. So, for now, I want you to go home and get some sleep."

"I… I am not sure I can. I need to be doing something, because… Because, if I take the time to stop and think about what's going on…" She starts sobbing. Giles wraps his arms around her and holds her.

"I know. It is a lot to have to deal with. But, you aren't alone in this. You have help, all you have to do is realize it," he tells her. They sit on the couch, and Giles continues to hold her as she sobs uncontrollably. After a few minutes, the sobbing stops, and Giles realizes that Buffy is asleep. Carefully, he stands up and leaves her sleeping on the couch. He walks to the door, grabbing his coat on the way. He looks at Buffy, sleeping peacefully on his couch, and sighs. He shakes his head, fearing the worst, and closes the door to his apartment.

***

He awakens at dusk. The sun is not yet down, but there is enough darkness that he believes he can make it. He steps into the doorway, which is still open. A breeze blows his hair, but he feels no change in temperature. He stretches his arms and legs, still marveling at the new strength flowing through him. He never thought he could be so free, so... uninhibited. Smiling, he steps out of the crypt and begins searching for food.

As he walks around, searching for food, he thinks about how things will be different now. No longer will he be the butt of the jokes. No longer will he be the one getting bullied. Starting now, he was going to be the bully. He sees a clothing store, and breaks the window to get inside. Casually, he looks through the racks of clothing, trying to determine his new look. As he is doing this, the police arrive, and two officers enter the shop with him.

"Game time," he says with an evil smile. He slides between the clothing and waits for one of the officers to walk by. When he does, Xander grabs him and pulls him into the rack with him. He licks the man's ear and whispers into his ear:

"I was getting hungry. Thanks for delivering my food." He then breaks the cop's neck and drinks his blood. When he gets finished, he drops the body to the floor, still holding the man's gun. He steps out of the rack and locates the other cop. He carefully takes aim and fires. The cop goes down, having been shot in the leg. Xander lowers the gun and heads toward his newest victim. He starts humming as he walks, but stops when something catches his eye. He stares at the outfit, unable to believe that he has finally found his new look. He jumps across the store and tackles the mannequin that was wearing it.

When he finally approaches the cop, he is wearing skin-tight, black leather pants, with a matching, sleeveless leather shirt. His eyes are covered with a pair of dark sunglasses. He smiles at the cop. The cop looks up at him. Xander removes his glasses, revealing the vampire face behind them. The cop cringes, throwing his arm up in front of his face.

"That's good. I like that," says Xander with a chuckle. He kneels beside the cop and grabs the man's leg. The cop cries out, but Xander ignores him. He squeezes the leg, and then twists it violently, pulling it completely off. The cop howls in pain and looks up at Xander. The smile on Xander's face tells the cop that it isn't over yet. 

"Please... Just kill me," he begs. Xander's smile broadens.

"I could do that... But... What would be the fun in that?" Xander tells him. He reaches down and grabs the man's other leg. He uses the elbow of his other arm to break the cops leg. As the cop howls in pain, Xander begins humming again. He is having fun. He grabs the handcuffs from the officer's belt and puts them on the man. Then, he uses his new strength to cause them to sever the man's hands. The officer finally passes out from the pain.

"Hmm... Guess I went a little too far," Xander chuckles as he stands up and leaves the shop. As he steps out into the night, he pulls on a leather jacket. He tries to think of the best place to go, and, when the idea enters his mind, he smiles broadly. He heads straight to the college.

***

"I'm so sick of this! I'm tired, my feet hurt, and we've already checked this place three times," complains Anya as she and Giles begin searching the cemetery.

"Don't you want to find Xander?" asks Giles.

"No!" screams Anya. "Right now, I don't care if we find him or not! He is probably at home right now, wondering where we are! I just want to go home and get some rest. Isn't that what you said Buffy needed? Rest? Why should we be any different?"

"Alright!" yells Giles. "Contrary to what you might think, I really do not enjoy wandering aimlessly around Sunnydale with you, in hopes that we might find some clue as to where Xander is! Knowing him, he probably got distracted by a shiny object!"

"Hey!" screams Anya. "You can't talk about him that way! You're supposed to be his friend! He looks up to you!"

"Anya," says Giles. Then, he stops and takes several deep breaths. "You are right. He is my friend, and I should not have said those things." Anya starts smiling. "However," continues Giles, "You are his girlfriend, and you are ready to give up, so why shouldn't I?"

"Fine," says Anya as she rolls her eyes. "We'll search this cemetery. Again. But then, when we are finished, I am going home, whether we find him or not!"

"Fine. I can accept that. By then, Buffy should be done at the hospital, and ready to patrol again. Come on, then, let's get this finished." 

The two of them walk quietly into the cemetery, searching for some clue as to where Xander might be. As they come to an open crypt, Anya grasps Giles's arm. Giles turns to face her, and sees that she has gone pale. He turns back to the crypt, practically dragging Anya along. Inside, Giles is amazed to see that Drusilla's body is on the ground. He investigates, and, when he sees that she has been drained of blood, he lets go of her quickly and stands up. He looks around, hoping to find some evidence of who might be responsible. The crypt is silent.

"It looks as though the vampire responsible for… For this," he gestures at Drusilla's body, "is no longer around. We have to go tell Buffy what we have discovered."

  
"Why do we both have to go? Couldn't I just go home, instead? I mean, what could I tell her that you can't?"

"Fine," says Giles. "Go home. Take a nap. Don't let anything like the disappearance of your boyfriend or an unidentified vampire who preys on other vampires keep you from anything!" He looks at her, and sees that she is scared. Not just a little spooked, but totally frightened. He considers for a moment. "Anya, I'm sorry for that outburst. It was totally unnecessary. Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No," says Anya as she looks around, as if expecting to see someone. "I'll be fine. You have to go tell Buffy about this." Then, in a much lower tone, she adds, "And I have to get the hell out of here!"

***

As he gets to the campus, he discovers that there is a rally going on and that there are several people in attendance. He carefully makes his way around the rally, keeping an eye out for members of the Initiative. He makes his way to the dorm, and waits outside. A student approaches, and Xander jumps up to meet him.

"Can I help you?" asks the student.

"I am looking for a Riley Finn. Do you know where I might find him?"

"Yeah, he's in this dorm. Why don't you come in, and we'll see if we can find him?" 

"Oh, I would really appreciate it," says Xander as he pulls the door open, allowing the other guy to go first. The other guy steps inside, and Xander looks around, making sure that no one else is coming. He closes the door behind him and grabs the guy who let him in. When the guy turns to face his attacker, he sees a vampire. He tries to scream, but Xander covers the man's mouth with his hand.

"Now, now... We'll have none of that. I already knew this was Riley's dorm. I just needed some fool to invite me in. Now, you get to be dinner." Xander bites into the guy's neck. The man tries to struggle, but is no match for Xander. Xander drains the body of blood, and then lets it drop to the floor. He callously kicks it into a corner. He heads up the stairs for his real target: Riley.

***

"We'll take Dawn back to the dorm, and then I will come back and help you look for Xander," Willow says as she and Buffy are heading back to Joyce's room. They have been talking to the doctors, again.

"Thanks, Will. I don't know what I would do without you," Buffy tells her.

"I'm sure you'd manage just fine," Willow says, trying to cheer the Slayer up.

"Glad one of us is so certain about that." She looks at Willow and rolls her eyes. "I'm sorry. I know you are just trying to help. It's just… Things have never been this bad before. Without you and Giles here to help… I just don't know if I could make it, despite what all of you keep telling me."

"It's okay. We understand. Tara and I will do anything we can to help you." The two of them go into the room, and smile.

"Same old story," says Buffy with a sigh. "They either don't know anything else, or they just won't tell me about it."

"I'm sure it's nothing. Right, Mom?" asks Dawn.

"Of course not," replies Joyce, as she gives Buffy a dirty look. Buffy shrugs her shoulders in an apology. She looks up at the clock above her mother's bed, and then looks back at her mother and Dawn.

"I didn't realize it was so late," she says. "Dawn, we better get going. They'll be coming to kick us out in a couple of minutes, anyway."

"Oh, yeah," says Willow. "We wouldn't want to get in trouble."

"But, I don't want to go," whines Dawn.

"Buffy's right, dear. You need to go home and get some sleep so that you can go to school tomorrow," explains Joyce. Buffy sighs, glad that her mother was the one to tell Dawn that she had to go.

"Come on, Dawnie," says Tara as she wraps her arm around the girl's shoulder. "Besides, your mother needs her rest." Dawn lets herself be led out of the room, with a glance back over her shoulder. Her mother smiles at her, as if encouraging her. With a sigh, Dawn turns around again and walks toward the door.

"You know," says Joyce. "I don't think it would hurt anything if she spent the night. As long as we are quiet, they shouldn't say anything." Dawn smiles and looks at Buffy, as if waiting for final permission. Buffy sighs and then looks at her mother. The look in Joyce's eyes convinces her. She looks back at Dawn and nods. Dawn let's out a quick cry of excitement and then covers her mouth with her hands.

"Just be quiet and make sure you don't get kicked out," Buffy warns. "I don't know if anyone will be available to come get you. There is a lot happening."

"Of course," says Dawn. She hugs Buffy and then goes back to her mother's side. Buffy smiles sadly and then turns to leave. Willow and Tara follow her. 

"What next?" asks Willow.

"I… I hope I don't sound callous or anything," says Tara, "But, I think I should go back to the campus. It's been a very long day for me, and I have that exam in the morning."

"Of course," says Buffy as she reaches out and touches Tara's arm. "You've been a big help, just being here for Dawn. Thanks."

  
"What about you?" Tara asks Willow.

  
"I… I think I am going to keep searching for Xander," she says. Tara nods and then turns away. Suddenly, she turns back and gives Willow a hug. 

"Call me if you find anything," Tara says as she pulls herself away from Willow.

"We will," Buffy and Willow say together. They watch Tara for a moment, and then turn and head back tot he cemetery where this all began.

***

As he makes his way through the dorm, he contemplates his plans. He will have to do something drastic to be able to catch Riley off his guard. He stops on the stairs and takes in a deep breath. He can smell Riley. He knows exactly where his prey is. Looking around, he makes his final decisions. A smile crosses his face as he throws himself down the stairs. When he stops at the bottom of the stairs, he begins to attack himself, hoping that the result is a roughed-up version of Xander. He wonders why no one comes to check out the noise, but then decides that it doesn't matter. He climbs the stairs again. As he nears the top, he goes into his act.

"Riley!" he calls, trying to sound desperate. "Riley? Are you here?"

Predictably, Riley appears in the hall. He takes a look at the figure before him and gasps. He rushes over to the now limping Xander and offers himself for support. Xander accepts the offer and allows himself to be held up in the powerful arms of the boy from Iowa.

"Xander! What happened to you?" Riley asks.

"I... There was a vampire. I think it killed someone downstairs," Xander explained. He hates the desperation and fear that are in his voice, but knows that he has to sound like the pathetic version of himself that Riley knows. The young soldier falls for it.

"Quickly, get in here," says Riley as he opens the door to his room and pulls Xander inside.

"Are you sure we're safe in here?" Xander asks.

"Of course. Besides, Graham will be here in a few minutes."

"Graham? Are you sure he will be able to make it up here if there is a vampire down there?" Xander is sickened by his own display of cowardice. Riley, however, is totally accepting of it. In fact, he seems to have been expecting it.

"Graham's a big boy. He can take care of himself. He's handled things that are worse than a solitary vampire before." Then, he stares at Xander, as if he just realized that he might have insulted him. "I don't mean to imply that you..." He lets the sentence die right there, because he knows that Xander wouldn't believe anything that he made up to finish it.

"H-how long before Graham should be here?" Xander asks, as if he is in need of more security than just Riley can provide. Riley is pulling a first-aid kit out of a drawer. He looks at his watch.

"Um... Probably about ten minutes," he says.

"Oh," says Xander, sounding relieved. "That should be plenty of time."

"Plenty of time for what?" asks Riley as he looks up from the first-aid kit. Xander is on him before he even has a chance to suspect that anything is wrong.

"Xander!" Riley cries out in shock. After that, there is silence in the dorm room. Xander drains Riley's blood, and then makes Riley drink from a cut that Xander gives himself. Xander then moves Riley over to the closet, and puts him inside for safekeeping. He moves back to the bed, where the first-aid kit sits. He starts tending to his wounds while he waits for Graham to show up.

***

"So, where do we start tonight?" Willow asks. 

"I don't know," Buffy says with a sigh. "If only we had some sort of clue. It just doesn't make any sense."

"I know. You'd think we would have heard something by now." The two of them continue to walk in silence.

"Oh! Buffy! Thank God I finally found you!" Giles calls from behind them. The two girls stop and turn around to face him. Neither knows for certain what he might be doing there, but they can both see that whatever he has to tell them, it is not good.

"Giles?" asks Buffy. "What is it? Xander?"

"No," says Giles as he shakes his head. "Well, I don't think so, anyway. They could be connected, though I am not certain how."

"Giles," Buffy interrupts. "Just tell us already!"

"Oh, right," says Giles. He looks around, clears his throat, and then tells them: "While Anya and I were out looking for Xander, we made a… A discovery. We were in the cemetery, the one where you said you all were when Xander disappeared. We found a crypt that had been opened. Inside was…"

"What? Giles, what is going on?" asks Buffy. She is obviously anxious and losing her patience.

"We found Drusilla. Or, her body, anyway," explains Giles. "Buffy, she'd been drained of blood and just cast aside. I hate to say it, but… But, I think that there may be something going on that takes precedence over searching for Xander." He drops his head, waiting for Buffy to attack him for his suggestion. When there is only silence, he looks up. Willow and Buffy are just staring at him, as if they didn't understand what he said.

"I… Who?" asks Willow.

"I don't know," says Giles. "That's why I think we have to start checking this out as soon as possible."

"Of course," says Buffy, with a heavy sigh. "I mean, I don't have enough going on as it is, what with college, my mom in the hospital, this Glory chick parading around town, and Xander missing. Why shouldn't something else be added?"

"Buffy, I'm sorry," says Giles. "I really wish that there was an easy answer to all of this, but—"

"But, there isn't," says Buffy. "It's not your fault. You're just doing the best you can." She turns and looks at Willow. "Can you continue to search for Xander while I try to find out more about what happened to Drusilla?"

"O-of course," says Willow. 

"Thanks, Giles. I guess I should start in the cemetery, again." Buffy turns and walks away, leaving Giles and Willow wondering what to do next. They look at each other, each hoping that the other will have something encouraging to say. When it becomes obvious that neither is going to say anything, the two of them shrug their shoulders and head off in opposite directions.

***

"This is taking too long," Xander hisses. He looks at the clock. He has been sitting there waiting for Graham to arrive. Three hours have passed. He stands up and walks over to the closet, thinking that Riley should be arising soon. He reaches out to open the door, when a noise from outside the room catches his attention. There is a general panic. Xander smiles, knowing that he is the reason for this panic. Things are going better than he could have imagined.

"Riley!" exclaims Graham as he bursts into the room. When he sees Xander, he stops. He looks around the room, and his gaze settles once again on Xander.

"What's going on?" Xander asks.

"Vampires," says Graham. "Where's Riley?"

"He went out to find you," Xander lies. Graham thinks about this for a second, then nods. 

"So, what are you doing here?" Graham asks him.

"I was here when the vampires attacked downstairs." He pauses, watching Graham to determine whether or not he is believing the story. Graham shows signs of doubt. Xander senses the question on Graham's mind, and answers it for him. "I thought they had left. After Riley helped me get cleaned up, he checked outside... He said it was safe." Xander feigns concern. "Do you think he's okay?"

"Hmm. Riley checked on the vamps before he left?" Graham asks.

"Yeah," says Xander, nodding.

"Well, then they must have returned after he left. He is a very... efficient soldier. He wouldn't put himself into danger. Unless..."

"Unless what?" asks Xander, trying to sound as if he is worried about Riley.

"Nothing. I... I am sure he's okay."

"You don't sound very convinced," says Xander. Graham looks as if he is trying to decide what to do. He looks around the room, and then looks at the hallway, as if deciding what he should do next. A sound from the closet makes his decision for him.

"What was that?" Graham asks.

"I... I don't know," says Xander, acting scared. He steps aside, letting Graham cross the room to the closet. As Graham prepares to open the door to the closet, Xander closes the door to the room.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," Xander says, with some authority.

"Why not?" demands Graham.

"Because you don't know what is in there! Are you trying to get us killed?" Xander asks, as if in a panic.

"It's okay. I can handle it," says Graham.

"Okay," says Xander, as a smile crosses his face. His smile widens as Graham opens the door, and then falls to the floor under Riley. Riley feeds, and then looks up at Xander.

"Sire him, if you want," Xander tells him.

***

"I don't know all the details, but there is definitely something going on here," Tara says into the phone.

"What do you mean?" asks Willow. She is sitting on the couch in Giles's apartment. Giles looks up from his book, concerned.

"I mean that there are people running around like mad, talking about vampires. They have an entire section of the campus closed off and…"

"And what?" asks Willow. She is growing more concerned by the tone of Tara's voice.

"And, the center of that closed-off section is Riley's dorm," says Tara.

"I-I'll tell Buffy," Willow says. Tara can hear the sadness in her voice.

"Still no sign of Xander?" Tara asks.

"Not so far. We've searched everywhere we can think of. He's just… Gone. There is no explanation. He has just disappeared. He hasn't even tried to contact us. I think he's..."

"No," says Tara, trying to reassure Willow. "I am sure that he is okay. He has to be, right?"

"I... I guess so."

"I wish I was there to hold you," says Tara.

"I know. Me, too." Willows whispers. Then, in her normal voice, she adds, "I've got to tell Buffy what's going on. We should be there soon. I love you."

"I l-love you, too," says Tara as she looks around. People are staring at her. She hangs up the phone and heads off to meet Buffy and Willow.

"What is going on," Giles asks Willow.

"Not sure. Something about vampires and Riley's dorm. It could be connected. I better let Buffy know," Willow says. Giles nods, and then goes back to his book. Willow sighs and stands up. She has to go find Buffy.

***

"You didn't sire him?" asks Xander as Riley stands above the drained body of Graham.

"I was gonna, but… I was too hungry," replies Riley.

"Hmm… I remember well. It wasn't that long ago that I was sired." Xander looks around. He hears the people who are gathering outside. He tilts his head a moment, listening intently. "We need to go."

"But, I am still hungry," whines Riley.

"Yeah… I can imagine. Well, we will just have to find a place where you can feed. A place that isn't here." He turns and leaves the room. "Let's go!" he hisses. Riley silently falls in line behind him, pouting a little as they pass through the crowds, heading away from the dorm. No one does anything to stop them. As they are about to leave the campus, they hear a familiar voice.

"Xander?" Tara calls out. He stops and turns to her. She rushes up to him and gives him a hug. Riley moves forward, as if to attack her, but Xander holds up a hand, causing Riley to stop.

"Tara!" says Xander as he wraps his arms around her, returning her hug. "Riley and I were just on our way to the magic shop. We have to talk to Giles."

"Oh! Giles isn't there," says Tara as she steps back from the embrace. "He's at his apartment. Willow was there. I called to let them know that something was going on here. Willow said she was going to get Buffy and then come check things out. They were searching for you."

"Me?" asks Xander.

"Yeah. Giles was with Anya. We've all been trying to find you since you disappeared the other night. What happened to you?" 

"It's a long, involved story…" Xander tells her.

"And, one we don't have time for right now! Right, Xander?" says Riley, as he steps between them. 

"Right," says Xander as he looks back toward the campus. He turns back to Tara. "It isn't safe for you here. You should come with us."

"But… I am waiting for Willow… A-and Buffy. I should…"

"Graham is dead," interrupts Riley.

"What?" asks Tara. "Oh, Graham? I am so sorry."

"It's not safe for you here. Will you please come with us?" asks Riley.

"Of course. I am sure that Willow and Buffy won't mind." The three of them head away from the campus.

***

Willow rushes through the cemetery, hoping to run into Buffy. She is anxious to find the Slayer and get to the campus. There was something in Tara's voice that made her think that the situation was worse than she was letting on. Willow finds the crypt and enters. Buffy is not there, but Willow notices something that causes her to freeze in her tracks. She crouches and calls upon her magic to illuminate the area. 

"Oh, no…" she says. She grabs the piece of fabric and stands up. Looking around, she tries to piece together what happened. Her mind is racing, and she doesn't like the thoughts that keep filling her head. She shakes her head, trying to force out all of the bad images that are flooding in. She screams as a hand grips her shoulder.

"Willow?" asks Buffy.

"Buffy!" exclaims Willow. "I… I didn't think you were here."

"I just came back. I dealt with Drusilla's body, and was returning to look for clues as to what happened."

  
"I am not sure we want to know," gulps Willow.

"What do you mean?" asks the Slayer.

"Look," says Willow as she holds out the piece of fabric for Buffy to see. Buffy looks at it, and does a double take. She looks up at Willow's face.

"Is that?" asks Buffy. Willow nods. 

"Yes. It is from the shirt that Xander was wearing when he disappeared. You don't suppose…"

"No!" screams Buffy. She doesn't want to accept the possibility that Xander was involved in Drusilla's demise.

"It doesn't mean that he was involved, you know. He could have been taken by whoever… Or whatever it was that killed Drusilla. I mean, couldn't it? Couldn't it mean that?" asks Willow.

"I guess," says Buffy. She doesn't sound too convinced. Willow's eyes go wide and she grabs Buffy's arm.

"Oh, my god, Buffy!" screams Willow. Buffy looks at her, waiting for her to explain. Willow thinks about her conversation with Tara. "We have to get to the campus! Now!"

  
"Willow? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, God," cries Willow. "I talked to Tara. That's why I came looking for you. She said that there was an attack at Riley's dorm. A vampire attack. Buffy, I think Riley and Tara are in great danger!"

"Are you sure?" asks Buffy, still not willing to accept the answers that her own mind are supplying for her.

"Yes!" screams Willow as she starts running from the cemetery. Buffy rushes to catch up.

***

Tara, Riley and Xander enter the Magic Box and head off in different directions. Tara heads straight to the back room, hoping to find Giles. Riley saunters over to a table and sits down, not certain what it is that he should be doing. Xander heads straight to Anya and gives her a big hug as he kisses her.

"Xander?" asks Anya, not quite believing what she is seeing. "What's with the leather? Where have you been? How come you didn't come back sooner?"

"Anya," says Xander in a soothing voice. "It's a long story. And, unfortunately, one that we haven't got time for right now. I will explain a little, but there just isn't time for me to explain all of it right away, okay?"

"Um… okay."

"I was kidnapped by Drusilla while Willow, Buffy and I were out on patrol. She was trying to convince me to join her. She had big plans for world domination, but she wanted to start here in Sunnydale. She wanted me to kill Buffy."

"I… I don't understand."

"She wanted me to become a vampire and be her little puppet." He grips Anya's arms and holds them against her sides. "She wanted to use me." His voice gets rougher, as does his grip. Anya opens her mouth to cry out, and Xander covers her mouth with his own. He kisses her and then pulls back. "I am no one's puppet," he sneers as he bites into Anya's neck. She screams.

As Tara rushes back into the main part of the shop from the back room, she is tackled by Riley, who savagely pulls her to the ground and forces her to watch as Xander sires Anya. Then, Xander walks over to the table and places Anya on it. He looks over at Riley and smiles. Tara, tears streaming down her cheeks, starts to shake her head. Xander looks into her eyes and sees only confusion, sadness and pain. He is suddenly torn. 

"Tara," he says. She looks up at him, afraid to speak. "You are vital to my plan. You see, by now, Buffy and Willow will have discovered that I am a vampire. There is just no way Willow will allow me to get close enough to her to sire her. That's where you come in."

"I-I'm the bait?" Tara asks.

"No," says Xander with a laugh. "You see, if I try to use you as bait, then one of them will save you while the other attacks me. Plus, we don't know about Giles, yet… He's the wild card in this scenario."

"You mean," Tara gasps, realizing what is going to happen. "You are going to sire me?" Xander and Riley both laugh out loud.

"No," says Xander. "I am not going to sire you." Tara begins to look hopeful. "I've sired enough people for one day. However," he continues, "Riley has yet to sire anyone."

Tara screams and struggles to get away. She can't think of a single spell that would help her. Riley punches her in the nose, shattering it and slamming her head against the floor. Tara gasps for breath as she struggles to remain conscious. The last thing she is aware of is a burning pain in the side of her neck. She feels herself weakening, and then everything goes black.

***

Buffy and Willow arrive at Riley's dorm to find a mass of confusion. The two girls force their way into the dorm and Buffy heads straight to Riley's room. She looks into the room and her heart sinks. She sees a body sprawled across the floor by the closet, a small spray of blood on the floor beside it. She rushes over to the body, and breathes a sigh of relief when she sees that it is not Riley. 

"I don't understand," Buffy says out loud.

"What? What's to understand? Something is after the ones you love. They went after Xander, and now there is evidence that it is after Riley. It is obviously not the demon-woman, because she wasn't a vampire… Uh, was she?"

"No, she wasn't a vampire," says Buffy. 

"Well, then at least we know she isn't the one doing this."

"Unless…" begins Buffy. She looks around, and then looks back at Willow. "Unless the vampires are working for her."

"Oh," says Willow as she sits on the edge of the bed. "I never thought about that."

"Well, one thing is for sure, we won't get any answers just standing around here."

"Tara!" screams Willow as she jumps to her feet. Buffy just stares at her. Willow grabs Buffy's arm, her eyes wide. "Tara called me, to tell me about what was going on here! Do you think…"

"We'd better go check on her. Now," says Buffy as she leads Willow out of the room.

***

"Anya, you are to wait here, for Buffy and Willow. Or Giles. Whoever comes here, you are to only take them on one at a time, okay? And, don't go after Buffy. Go after Willow only. Buffy's turn will come, just not yet," says Xander as he picks Tara up off the floor.

"Do I kill?" asks Anya.

"Only if you have to. Willow will be a great asset to our cause, but only as a vampire. Dead, she only serves in our quest to hurt the Slayer."

"We should kill her," says Anya.

"We will. Eventually," says Xander.

"But, she is a great danger to us all," argues Riley.

"We will stick to the plan," hisses Xander.

"But, the plan is stupid," says Anya. Xander looks at her, not believing what he just heard. "Buffy is the Slayer! She is powerful, and can only hurt us and our cause," Anya adds, as if to clarify her previous statement.

"We will defeat her. She won't have time to hurt us," Xander says calmly. He looks at Riley, and then at Anya, challenging them to say something.

"No one else has been able to defeat her!" whines Anya.

"Yes, but no one else has had what we have. No one else has managed to eliminate what we are eliminating!" screams Xander.

"You aren't making any sense," says Anya. Riley nods his agreement, but remains silent. Xander rolls his eyes.

"It's like this," he says, speaking in a controlled, calm voice. "All of the others have tried to come at her from the outside. She had her friends to help her. We have changed that. We will continue to change that. We were her friends, and now we will work from the inside to destroy her. With each one that makes us stronger, we make her weaker. She will be so concerned about her friends that she will not be expecting us to be the ones trying to get to her."

"I see now," says Anya. "I am not sure I agree with you, but I understand."

"It's a simple case of divide and conquer," adds Riley. "But, with a twist."

"Right," says Xander. He motions to the door, which Riley holds open for him. He turns back to Anya. "Just make sure you keep them guessing. Don't let them know you are a vampire until it is too late for them to stop you. And, don't let them know you have seen us. It will only complicate things."

"I understand," Anya says as she nods. Then, "Where will you be?"

"We are going to the hospital," says Xander as he carries Tara through the door and disappears. Anya goes back to work, straightening items on shelves, and waiting for someone else to appear.

***

"She's not here!" cries Willow as she rushes down to meet Buffy. "And, no one has seen her!" Willow is near to panicking.

"Calm down, Willow. We will find her. You talked to her. Did she say that she might go somewhere?"

"No," says Willow. "She didn't say anything. I don't know where she would be!"

"Willow," says Buffy as she grabs the witch by her arms. "Listen to me. We will find her. We just have to think of the best places to search for her."

"I… I guess so. But…"

"But nothing. We will find her." Buffy looks around, wondering what the next move should be. Suddenly, she gets an idea. "Willow, we have to split up."

"What?" says Willow, her eyes wide with shock.

"Think about it. We can cover more ground that way. I am going to go to Giles's apartment and see if he is still there, and if he has discovered anything that may help us. I don't think she would actually have gone there, but it is possible. If she isn't there, then I will get Giles to help us search."

  
"But, what about me?"

"I need you to go to the Magic Box and see if Anya can help us. It is possible that Tara is already there, trying to find some way of helping us."

"Yeah," says Willow, her mood lifting drastically with that shred of hope.

"So, if I find her, I will call the Magic Box. If you find her, you need to call Giles. If I haven't made it there yet, I should be there shortly."

"Okay. Yeah. Tara would have wanted to do something to help. She is probably at the Magic Box right now, researching. I am sure she is," says Willow as she turns and heads off toward town. Buffy watches her for a couple of seconds before she, too, heads for town.

***

"You should go get yourself something to drink," Joyce tells Dawn. Dawn shakes her head. "But, you need to have something."

"I'm fine, Mom. Really." Dawn repositions herself in the fake-leather chair beside her mom's bed. She grabs a magazine and starts to flip through it. She smiles and looks up at her mother. "See?"

"Okay," says Joyce as she rolls her eyes. "If you're sure." Then, after a couple of seconds, she adds, "What about a snack? It's been a while since you ate. A snack would do you good."

  
"Mom," says Dawn in her most serious tone. "I am fine. I can sit here for another few hours and not even think about food or drinks. Really. It's okay."

"No, it isn't," says Joyce, fighting back tears. Dawn sees her mother struggling and jumps to her feet. She is at her mother's side in a fraction of a second.

"Mom? What is it?"

"I just feel so helpless!" says Joyce. "I am supposed to be the one who is taking care of you, not the other way around." Tears start to slide down the sides of Joyce's face, and Dawn stares at them in horror.

"No," whispers Dawn, in a voice that is hardly more than a whisper. She reaches out and wipes the tears from her mother's face, and then stands up straight.

"You know what?" she asks. "I suddenly feel the need for a drink. A-and maybe a snack or two." She turns and walks toward the door. After only a couple of steps, she stops and returns to her mother's side. "Um, I kinda don't have any money," she confesses. Joyce starts laughing, and reaches out to embrace Dawn, who gladly returns the favor. As she steps back from the embrace, Dawn looks around.

"What are you looking for," asks Joyce.

"Oh, Buffy left her coat here. I was thinking that she might have left some money in it. She hasn't really been herself since…" She looks at her mother, and then shrugs. "You know, since you had to stay here." She didn't want her mother worrying about Xander, too. There were enough people worried about Xander, and besides, her mother had enough worries already. Dawn finds Buffy's coat and searches the pockets. "Aha!" she exclaims as she holds up a few crumpled dollars.

"Good," says Joyce. "Now you can go get that drink."

"And a snack or two," Dawn adds with a smile. She walks to the door again, and again she stops. This time, though, when she turns around, she remains where she is. "Can I get you anything?" she asks.

"Chocolate!" says Joyce.

"Okay," says Dawn, laughing slightly at the mock desperation in her mother's voice. She smiles to herself as she steps out of the room. She falls to the floor after bumping into someone. A hand appears in her face, and she cringes for a second, before realizing that someone is just offering to help her up. She grabs the hand and looks up to see who is helping her.

"Are you okay?" asks Ben as he helps her to her feet. "I hit you kinda hard. I'm sorry. I wasn't really watching what I was doing."

"I-I'm okay," says Dawn as she brushes herself off. "And, I think it was my fault, actually. I wasn't paying attention, either."

"Okay, so it was both our faults," Ben says with a laugh. "You're… Dawn, right?"

  
"Yeah. I am surprised you remembered."

"Well, why wouldn't I remember someone so remarkable?" asks Ben. Dawn blushes, and turns away. "So, where were you going before we ran into each other?"

"I was headed to get a drink. A-and some chocolate. For myself, of course," Dawn says.

"Ah. Well, I am headed that way, mind if I tag along? I could use a drink, myself."

"Uh, sure. I could use the company, I guess."

"Something you want to talk about?" asks Ben as he places his hand on the small of her back and half guides her along the hall.

"Oh, it's nothing," says Dawn. She feels safe, with Ben's hand on her back. She quickly debates whether or not she should tell him what's on her mind. "It's just…"

"Just what? It's okay. You can tell me. I am here to help," he tells her in a reassuring voice.

"It's my sister," Dawn says.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah, Buffy." Dawn sulks a little at the fact that Ben knew Buffy's name without having to think about it. "She… I think she may be hurting herself."

  
"You mean, like cutting, or something?"

"Oh, no! Nothing like that," Dawn says.

"What, then?"

"It's just… She has so much going on, what with her being the Chosen… Uh… With her being the one chosen to take care of me while Mom is in here. And, this is on top of her other duties. And, then, with Xander going missing and all, I think she is just trying to do too much."

"Xander? Who is Xander? Why is he missing?"

"Xander is one of Buffy's best friends. He is one of the only people who know what Buffy is really like. He really means a lot to her. To all of us, really. And, he disappeared while Buffy, Willow and he were in the cemetery and got attacked, and…" she looks up at Ben, and upon seeing the confusion in his eyes, she sighs deeply.

"It's just really complicated, and Buffy is trying to do so much, all at once, and I am just concerned about what it may be doing to her. I mean, Mom is already here in the hospital, and I don't want Buffy to join her."

At this point in the conversation, they reach some vending machines, and Dawn tries to determine what she wants. Ben's hand is no longer on her back, and she is suddenly afraid that something terrible is going to happen. She feels as though his hand on her back was somehow protecting her. She no longer feels safe, since it has been removed. She fumbles with one of the dollars she had gotten from Buffy's coat, but can't manage to get it into the slot. Ben reaches out and grabs hold of the dollar. 

"Here," he says. "Let me get that for you." He takes it from her and manages to get it into the machine on the first try. He turns to look at her, and she is staring up at him.

"Do you know what you want?" he asks her.

"You," she says in a breathy, seductive voice.

"Huh?" 

"I… I said thank you. You know, for getting the stupid thing to work." She reaches out and presses a button, neither knowing nor caring what she just chose as her drink. She bends down to grab it, and turns away from Ben.

"Riley!" she exclaims as she grabs the can and stands up. Riley smiles and hurries over to them.

***

"That guy gets on my nerves," Xander says as he watches Ben collide with Dawn. "Just look at him, trying to be noble and polite. He sickens me. In fact, I hate him!"

"Oh!" says Riley. "Can I kill him?" He is excited, and smiles broadly. Xander thinks about it for a second. He looks Riley up and down, watching the ex-soldier bounce excitedly at the thought of killing someone.

"Okay," he says. Then, as Riley starts to head off, Xander grabs his arm. Riley stops and looks back at Xander. "But, don't let Dawn see you. Let them go for a little while. There is something that I want to do, and I will need a few minutes to get it done. Just follow them for a little while, and then tell Dawn that I am in her mother's room. That will get her out of the way while you kill that guy."

"Okay." Xander watches as Riley falls in step behind Ben and Dawn. Xander scowls as he watches Ben put his hand on Dawn's back. Suddenly, he feels a hand on his hip. It slides teasingly over his hip to his abdomen, and then slowly up to his chest. A tongue licks his ear.

"Can we have fun now?" asks Tara. Xander grabs her hand and pushes it away from him.

"You're gay. Remember that," he tells her. She starts to pout, and he sighs. "I need you to be fresh when we go after Dawn. Can you remember that?"

"I'll try," she says. He turns and walks into Joyce's room, and Tara bounces along behind him.

"Hi, Mrs. Summers," says Tara as she crosses in front of Joyce and comes to rest on the far side of the bed. Joyce opens her eyes, and looks around.

"Tara? Xander? Are you here to get Dawn already?" she asks.

"Not really," giggles Tara. Joyce stares at her, obviously not understanding.

"We came for you, actually," says Xander. Joyce turns to look at him.

"Huh?" she asks. Tara laughs out loud, and Xander gives her a look. The laugh ends abruptly, and Tara is silent.

"What I mean is," says Xander politely, "we came to ask a favor." Joyce sits up excitedly.

"A favor? Oh, if there is anything I can do to help you, I will gladly do it! I was just telling Dawn how useless I feel."

"Ah, you are never useless," says Xander. He takes a step closer to the bed, and takes Joyce's hand in his own. "In fact, you are the most important thing right now." 

"Well, flattery will get you everywhere," Joyce says. "So…" She looks at him more closely, and then giggles to herself. "Xander? Why are you wearing that?"

"_Grease_," he says.

"What?"

"At school. We are doing the play, _Grease_. This is my costume," he says.

"Oh," she replies. "So, what is the favor that you wanted? What can I do for you?"

"Just… Don't scream, okay?" asks Xander.

"Huh? I don't understand."

  
"You will. What you can do for us is not scream, okay?"

"I guess," says Joyce, "but I still don't—"

At this point, Xander shows his true face, and Joyce opens her mouth to scream. Tara quickly slaps her hand over Joyce's mouth and watches as Xander quickly sinks his fangs into her neck. Tara watches, as if entranced, as Joyce struggles a little and then quits moving. She admires her sire's handiwork as Joyce pales. Then, Xander pulls away and looks at the woman lying on the bed. He reaches up and removes Tara's hand from Joyce's mouth. He holds his wrist over her face and then takes a bite out of it. The blood gushes from his arm and into Joyce's mouth. As if against her will, Joyce slowly swallows the blood, the fear of drowning overpowering her disgust of having blood flowing into her mouth. After a few seconds, Xander grabs a sheet off a table near the bed and wraps it around his wrist, stopping Joyce's supply. Joyce closes her eyes and remains still as the holes in her neck heal themselves.

***

"Tara?" calls Willow as she steps through the door of the Magic Box. She rushes to the table where they usually do research and looks around. The only person she sees is Anya. She rushes over to Anya. "Is Tara here?"

"Tara?" Anya asks. "No. Should she be?"

"I was hoping," says Willow as she grabs a chair and sits down. Anya sits in a chair beside her.

"What's going on?" asks Anya.

"I got a call from Tara, and she was at the college. She said that there was something going on, and that Riley's dorm was involved. I told her I was going to get Buffy and then we would be there. When we got there, we searched for Tara, but we couldn't find her anywhere. Buffy said that she was going to Giles's apartment, and that I should come here, and we would each call the other if we found Tara." Willow sits up straight and puts her hand on Anya's arm, not even noticing how cold it is. "Did she call? Buffy, I mean? Or Tara. Did Tara call?"

"No," says Anya as she pulls her arm away. "No one has called. It's just been me here. All night. Alone."

"I don't understand this," confesses Willow. She is on the verge of tears. "Where is Tara? I can't believe she would willingly hide from me, especially with the situation with Xander."

  
"I haven't seen Xander," says Anya. Willow gives her a questioning look. "I mean, it has been so long," says Anya, faking a sob. "I miss him."

  
"Oh, God!" says Willow. "I am so sorry, Anya. I forgot that you haven't seen Xander in so long…"

"It's okay. I guess. I mean… He has to show up eventually, right? Maybe Tara found him and is bringing him here right now?"

"Oh, do you really think so?" asks Willow.

"Sure!" says Anya, nodding her head. "I really believe that."

"So, what do we do while we wait?"

"I think we should probably look for some spells, or something."

"What?"

"Well, that is what we normally do, isn't it? We research. And then, because we did the research, we win. We're the good guys, and we always win, right?" She looked at Willow, wondering if she was buying this story. Willow, mistaking the look for one asking for reassurance, nods.

"Yeah. We always win. So," she says as she stands up and heads for the bookshelves, "what should we research?"

"Um… The demon woman?" suggests Anya.

"Good idea, but… I think we have done about as much research on her as we possibly could."

"Well, then, what about… Uh… Vampires?"

"Vampires? Why would we want to—"

She turns around to face Anya, and is surprised to see a vampire lunging at her. It is so unexpected that Willow doesn't have time to do anything but throw her hands up over her face. The vampire slams into her, shoving her against the bookshelf before the two of them fall to the ground. Willow, in a panic, can't think of a single spell that might be able to help her. Her only thought is that she needs help.

"Anya, run!" she screams. "Find Buffy!" Anya starts laughing. Willow stops and looks up at the vampire for the first time. She recognizes Anya and gasps in surprise.

"No help for you, little witch!" hisses Anya as she leans in to bite Willow. Feeling a surge of power and a desperate need to get away, Willow manages to flip Anya over to the side. She scrambles to her feet and starts to run. She reaches the door and throws it open. She looks back and sees Anya standing beside the empty shelves. Willow turns and takes a step outside.

"We have Tara," says Anya. Willow stops in her tracks. She looks back at Anya, who just stands there, watching her. She takes a step back into the Magic Box and pushes the door closed. 

"What did you say?" she asks.

"We have Tara," Anya says.

"What do you mean? Who has Tara?"

"We do."

"Who is we?"

"That doesn't matter," says Anya. "If you want to see her again, then we will have to come to an agreement. This time, when I say we, I mean you and me. I have my orders, but there is still room for negotiation."

"What are you saying?" asks Willow as she mentally prepares a couple of spells for use against Anya.

"I am saying that I was told to kill you only as a last resort. Only if we can't use you in some other way."

"Use me? How?"

"That remains to be seen. You are not the goal. You were never the goal. You are simply a means to an end."

"What end?"

"Not what end, but whose," says Anya.

"I don't… Oh, God! You are talking about Buffy!" Willow gasps as she makes the terrible realization. Anya smiles and moves closer.

"Right. Buffy is the target. You are simply a tool."

"I don't understand," says Willow. "What do you want from me?"

"Your magic, of course. We don't have to have it, of course, but anything that might tip the odds in our favor will help."

"So, you want me to use my magic against my best friend? That is never going to happen!" screams Willow.

"Then, Tara will suffer because of it!" hisses Anya. "I used to be a demon, remember? I know several forms of torture that will keep her alive for years!"

"Tara?" asks Willow, through tears. "No!" Willow throws her hands into the air in front of her and speaks in an ancient language. A bolt of energy surges from Willow's hands and hits Anya, throwing the vampire backwards. Willow stares at Anya, hatred and anger building inside her. Anya stands up and dusts herself off.

"Look what you did!" screams Anya. "This stuff isn't cheap, you know! How dare you destroy it in a fit of rage?"

"I will do whatever I want until I get Tara back!" screams Willow. She releases another bolt of energy, but Anya is ready for it this time, and jumps out of the way. "Where is Tara?" Willow asks.

"Stop destroying the merchandise!" cries Anya. Willow turns and sends another energy bolt at the cash register. 

"No!" screams Anya as she watches the bolt hit the machine, causing it to explode. In a single bound, Anya is standing directly in front of Willow. She reaches out and grabs Willow by the throat lifting her off the ground.

"You bitch!" screams Anya, as she tightens her grip around Willow's throat. "I was willing to make a deal with you, and how do you repay me? You destroy this place! I am afraid I have lost my patience! We have come to the last resort!" She squeezes Willow's throat again, and Willow gasps for air. Then, Willow grabs Anya's head and releases another bolt of energy. Anya is thrown backwards as the bolt of energy courses through her body. Willow remains suspended in air for a moment, and then falls to the floor. Willow hits hard, and gets the air knocked out of her. She lies there for a moment, trying to catch her breath. When she is finally able to breathe, she cries out, because it hurts. 

Suddenly, there is a shadow covering her. Willow looks up to see Anya standing above her. Willow can see that Anya's left arm is broken, and she is bleeding from several cuts all over her body. Her hair is sticking straight out, in every direction. Willow is surprised to see smoke rising from it. She wonders for a fraction of a second how her hair could be smoking without Anya being on fire, but before she has a chance to truly consider it, Anya bands down and grabs Willow's arm.

"You break my arm," Anya says as she bends Willow's arm backward until it snaps, "and I break yours!" Willow screams as the pain from her arm spreads out though her body. Willow's head tilts back and she howls in pain as Anya pulls on her broken arm. When Willow looks back at Anya, her eyes are all black. Willow says something that Anya can't understand and Willow's arm mends itself. Willow stands up, watching Anya's anger quickly become replaced with surprise. Anya looks up at Willow, and then quickly sweeps her legs around, knocking Willow to the floor. With a laugh, Willow magically returns to her former position. She looks at Anya and smiles.

"You wanted my magic," she says. "Well, you are about to get it!" She points at Anya and the vampire once again flies across the room, crashing into shelves on the other side of the shop. As she stands up, Anya grabs a statue that had been on the shelves and hurls it at Willow. Willow laughs as she moves her hand slightly. The statue stops and falls to the floor. She points at Anya again, and the vampire is levitated three feet above the rubble she had been standing in. Willow gestures, and Anya moves through the air until she is directly above the remains of the research table. Anya's eyes go wide as she sees the broken piece of wood jutting up from the floor, and realizes what is about to happen. She turns to look at Willow, horrified by the realization. Willow drops her hand, and Anya falls.

***

Buffy pounds on Giles's door, calling out his name. She stops pounding and tries to look in through one of the windows. She can't see anything inside the apartment, and starts to pound on the door again. She falls forward as the door opens. Giles catches her, but just barely. As he helps her regain her balance, he blinks several times, as if trying to get his eyes to focus. Buffy realizes that he had been sleeping, and that he isn't fully awake. The porch light must have seemed extremely bright to him. She reaches out and shuts the door, casting the room in darkness. She stands still for a few seconds, waiting for her eyes to adjust.

"Buffy?" Giles asks after he turns on a lamp and looks at her.

"Yeah, Giles. It's me."

"What's going on?"

"Xander is dead," she blurts out. Then, as Giles tries to accept this, she adds, "And so is Graham."

  
"This is serious," says Giles. "Uh, who is Graham?"

"Riley's roommate and fellow soldier. Riley and Tara are missing."

"Wait a minute!" says Giles. "Slow down. You say Xander is dead? How do you know?"

"This," Buffy tells him as she pulls out the piece of cloth that was found in the crypt.

"I don't understand," says Giles after examining the piece of cloth.

"Willow and I found it. In the crypt where you found Drusilla's body."

"That doesn't mean," begins Giles.

"Xander is dead, Giles. I know it." She stares into his eyes. "I _know_ it."

"But, how do you know?"

"Because…" she hangs her head. "Because, he is a vampire."

"A… A vampire?" asks Giles, still not able to accept what he is being told. "But, how? I mean…"  


"Drusilla sired him, from what I've discovered. Then, for some reason, he killed her."

"Buffy, perhaps you should sit down and start from the beginning. How can you know any of this?"

"I don't need to sit down!" screamed Buffy. "Stop telling me what I need! You don't know what I need! No one knows what I need! I need to be able to live my life without all these… Curses!"

"Curses? You have been cursed, too?" asked Giles, clearly not understanding. Buffy looks up at him, and, seeing that he is serious, she sighs deeply and sits on the couch. He walks around and sits next to her. She looks up at him again, and starts to explain.

"I got to the crypt and found Drusilla's body. I took it out of the crypt and dragged it over to a gravesite. I pulled out my stake, to drive it through her heart, when I stopped. She wasn't dead."

  
"She wasn't dead? But, how?"

"She is a vampire. If she had been dead, then there shouldn't have been a body for you to find. If she was truly dead, and no longer undead either, then she should have been a pile of ashes. She wasn't. That meant that she was still alive. Or, undead. Whatever. I wasn't sure what to do. Then, it came to me." She holds out her arm and pulls up her sleeve. Giles sees a blood soaked bandage just below the elbow.

"Buffy, you didn't," says Giles, not believing what he is seeing. She nods.

"I cut myself and fed her some of my blood. I had to. I had to know what had happened to her, and what had happened to Xander. I didn't give her enough to make her well. I am not that naïve. I gave her just enough to give her the strength to talk. I asked her what had happened. She told me that her new lover didn't want her, and that I should have left her there. I asked her what she meant. She told me that she had a strange and uncontrollable attraction to Xander. Evidently it was a leftover from that love spell he had Amy cast back when we were in high school."

"This is unbelievable," says Giles. Buffy looks at him. "Oh… Please continue."

"She said she set the whole thing up. She said she gathered some vampires to ambush us in the cemetery so that she could kidnap Xander. She told me that she had sired him, hoping that the two of them could be together for eternity. At first, he fought it, according to Drusilla. He called her a monster. She sounded so heartbroken, I actually felt sorry for her. She said that she forced him to feed, and then he turned on her. He said that she wasn't his type. She said he drained her and tossed her aside. The last thing she said she remembered was him telling her that she wasn't his type, and then he went back to sleep."

"She could have lied to you," Giles tells her.

"She wasn't lying, Giles," says Buffy. "If you had been there, you would know."

"I… I don't know what to say," says Giles as he reaches out and puts his hand on Buffy's shoulder. She looks up at him and smiles weakly.

"I staked her, Giles. Then, I went back to the crypt, to look around again, and found Willow there. She is the one who found this," she says as she hold up the torn piece of cloth. "She tried to convince me that Xander was still alive. That whoever had attacked Drusilla had taken Xander, and that he was going to be okay. I couldn't tell her, Giles!" She starts crying, and Giles holds her. He doesn't know what to say or do, so he just pats her back and lets her cry. After a couple of minutes, she pushes back away from him and wipes the tears from her face.

"It gets worse," she says in a low voice. "Willow told me that the reason she was there is that she heard from Tara. We went to the campus and straight to Riley's dorm. In his room, we found Graham. He was dead. Killed by a vampire."

"So, you think Xander…"

"No, Giles," says Buffy in a firm voice. "That wouldn't be cruel enough."

  
"What do you mean?"

"Remember when Xander was possessed by the hyena? What he was like then?"

  
"Well, that wasn't so bad."

  
"Wasn't so bad? Giles, he tried to rape me!" Buffy's hands come up to her mouth and she stares up at Giles, unable to believe that she just said that.

"What? Buffy? Why didn't you say something?" asks Giles.

"Because," sobs Buffy. "He wasn't Xander then. Not really. It was the spirit inside him that made him do it. Besides, he didn't remember anything about it anyway, so there wasn't a reason to bring it up." She looks up at Giles. "What?"

"Buffy… I don't know how to tell you this, but…"

  
"Oh, my God! You mean… He remembered?"

"I am afraid so, Buffy. I confronted him about it, and told him that his secret was safe with me."

  
"Giles! How could you?"

"B-because," stammered Giles, "I thought the worst thing he did was help the others eat that stupid pig! How was I to know it was so bad?"

"You… You… You're right, Giles. I am sorry for snapping at you. We each did what we thought was best. Anyway, the point I was trying to make is… I think that Vampire Xander is going to be a lot worse than hyena-possessed Xander."

  
"What exactly are you trying to tell me?"

"I think that Xander sired Riley, and that Riley is the one who killed Graham," Buffy says.

***

"Riley? What are you doing here?" Dawn says. Part of her is glad to see him, but another part wishes that she were still alone with Ben.

"Well, I have great news, Dawn!" says Riley as he stops beside her. He nods at Ben, who nods back. "Xander is here! He is waiting for you in your mom's room!"

"Oh!" screams Dawn as she throws her arms around Riley. "Really?" she asks as she lets him go and looks up at him.

"Yeah," Riley says with a laugh. "He said he was going to wait there for Buffy, instead of trying to track her down. It's the one place that we know Buffy will eventually be."

"Wow!" says Dawn. She turns and looks at Ben. She gives him a big hug and smiles at him. "Xander's back! I have to go say hi!" She turns and heads off in the direction of her mother's room. 

"So, Xander is okay, huh?" Ben asks.

"Yeah, I think so. Can you believe how excited she is?"

"Yeah. She was just telling me how his disappearing was affecting her sister. She is quite a remarkable girl."

"She sure is. Wait," says Riley. "Which one are we talking about, Dawn or Buffy?"

"Dawn," says Ben, with a smile. "Although, Buffy is pretty remarkable, too."

"Yeah, she sure is," agrees Riley. Then, he adds "So, where does a person have to go to get the really good coffee around here?"

"I'll show you," says Ben. He leads Riley to the staff lounge. "I am really not supposed to let people come in here like this, but… this is definitely a special occasion."

"Yeah. It certainly is," says Riley, as he pushes the door closed.

"Here it is, the best coffee in the hospital," says Ben as he gestures to the coffeepot. 

"Yeah… Sure," says Riley as he steps closer to Ben.

"What are you doing?" asks Ben.

"What I was told to do," says Riley. He reaches out and grabs Ben's arm. Ben pulls away from him and backs away. When his back hits the wall, Ben looks to the sides. Riley steps right in front of him and smiles broadly. Ben opens his mouth to call for help, and Riley slams his hand against the man's mouth.

  
"Now, we can't have anyone come in and ruin my fun, now can we? I mean, this is really the first opportunity I have had to deal with someone…" Ben punches Riley in the stomach and twists sideways, releasing himself from Riley's grip. He only takes a single step before Riley grabs him by the arm and shoves him back against the wall. Ben gasps for breath. Before he can call out, Riley grabs his throat, choking him. Ben struggles to get free, but is held firmly as Riley presses his body against his prey, pinning him to the wall. Riley tries to figure out what he should do next. There are so many options that he can't decide. He hears someone in the hall outside the lounge.

"Dammit!" he curses as he realizes that he will have to act quickly. He grabs Ben's head with both hands, and, with his new, inhuman strength, twists it almost completely around. He takes a step back and looks around for a place to hide the body as it slumps to the floor. He opens a cabinet and looks at Ben's body, judging the sizes. He shrugs and grabs the body, shoving it into the cabinet, breaking bones as needed to make it fit. He then shuts the cabinet and pours himself a cup of coffee, as a doctor enters the lounge.

"What are you doing in here?" asks the doctor. 

"Getting a cup of coffee," Riley says, lifting his cup for emphasis.

"You aren't supposed to be in here," says the doctor.

"Oh. Ben told me this was the place to get the best coffee, so I just assumed that meant I could come in here and get it. Sorry. I'll go."

"Ben? He told you to come in here and get some coffee?" asked the doctor.

  
"No, he said that this was where the best coffee in the hospital is. Didn't you listen to what I said?" demands Riley.

"I don't think I like your attitude, young man," says the doctor.

"And I don't like you!" hisses Riley. He looks at the coffee in his hand. "Or this!" he adds as he throws the coffee in the doctor's face. The man barely has time to scream before Riley snaps his neck. Instead of trying to hide the body, Riley just tosses it aside and goes to find Xander.

***

Dawn runs into her mother's room, excited to see Xander. She doesn't even see Tara pushing the door closed behind her. She rushes over and, as Xander turns around, Dawn gives him a huge hug. She pushes back from him, smiling. She looks up at his face, and her smile quickly disappears. Tears are streaking down his cheeks. Dawn looks from him to Joyce, and lets out a low moan of despair.

  
"I'm sorry," says Xander as he puts his hand on her shoulder. "But, it was for the best."

  
"What? How can you say that?" demands Dawn.

  
"I mean, we had to. It was the only way."

"I… I don't understand. What did you…" she begins. Then, as she looks at her mother on the bed, she makes the connection. She pushes back away from him. "You killed her?"

"No, Dawn. I released her," Xander says in a calm, soothing voice, as he gestures at the equipment, which is no longer connected.

"But, how? Where are the doctors and nurses? They should have come running when…"

"No, Dawn. They wouldn't even notice, since all of this," he gestures to the equipment again, "is no longer being monitored. I had a talk with the nurse on duty."

"You mean, she turned it all off?" Dawn asks, not fully understanding.

"No," says Xander. "The bitch wouldn't listen to reason, so I had to kill her and turn them all off myself."

  
"What?" shrieks Dawn. She can't believe what she has just heard. She steps back away from Xander and Tara wraps her arms around her from behind.

"Do I get to play now?" Tara asks.

"Not yet," says Xander. "There is something that Dawn needs to see first. You see, Dawn, I did this all for you. Your mother was going to die, but we helped her. Now, she is immortal, and will never leave you."

  
"What do you mean?" she asks as she pulls away from Tara. Joyce sits up and looks around.

  
"I mean, I sired her," says Xander. When Dawn looks from Xander to her mother, she gasps.

"Mom?" she asks. Joyce turns to face her.

"Dawn? Honey, what is it?" asks Joyce.

"How?" asks Dawn. She then turns her attention back to Xander, screaming as she discovers that he is a vampire.

"Now, you may sire her," Xander tells Tara. Tara grabs Dawn by her hair and yanks her backwards. As she falls backwards, Dawn feels Tara's arm wrap around her. She screams as Tara bites into her neck.

"Hungry," says Joyce. Xander looks at her.

"Oh, yeah. I imagine you are." Just then, a nurse flings the door open and enters the room. Xander grabs the nurse by her arm and flips her up into the air and against the wall. The nurse is unconscious before she has the chance to scream.

"Hmm…" he says. "Nice that she should come in just when we needed her." He picks her up and sets her on Joyce's lap. "Feed on this, Joyce. You'll need your strength." He turns quickly as someone else enters the room, but relaxes when he sees that it is only Riley.

"And, Ben?" Xander asks.

"Dead, like you wanted," says Riley.

"Good, now we have to get out of here," says Xander.

"Still hungry," says Joyce as she pushes the nurse's body off of the bed.

"Well, then, the sooner you get dressed, the sooner we can get out of here and get you some more food," says Xander as he throws Joyce's clothes at her. He turns and exits the room, pulling Riley along with him. Tara picks up Dawn, and turns to follow. Then, she stops and turns around again, watching longingly as Joyce dresses.

***

Willow turns to leave the magic shop, not bothering to watch Anya fall to her death. She steps toward the door, and sees that her way is blocked by debris. She waves her hand and the mess splits down the middle. Willow laughs.

"Like parting the Red Sea," she says out loud. She takes another step and then stops.

  
"You can't leave yet, witch!" Anya hisses. Willow turns around to see Anya impaled on the piece of wood sticking up from the floor.

"What the hell?" asks Willow.

  
"You missed the heart, you stupid fool," says Anya as she twists violently to the side, breaking the wood just below her. She stands up and stares at Willow. She pulls the board out of her stomach and returns her attention to Willow.

"Damn you," says Willow.

"Too late," says Anya as she lunges forward. Willow throws her arms forward and releases her magic. Anya twists easily to the side, knowing that this is what Willow was going to do. As the magic fades, Willow stares at the empty area in front of her.

"Stupid vampire," says Willow. "She should have known better." Willow turns and sees Anya standing in front of her, blocking her way. She starts to raise her hands, and gasps in pain as Anya shoves the bloody board through Willow's midsection.

"It hurts, doesn't it, witch?" says Anya as she twists the board. She lets go of the board and takes a step back. Before Willow can react, Anya spins around, lifting her foot. The impact of Anya's foot against her chest sends Willow flying backwards. As Willow lands, Anya jumps through the air and lands beside her. She bends down and wraps both of her hands around Willow's throat, lifting her from the floor. Willow spits in Anya's face and kicks wildly. Both of her feet connect with Anya's body, and Anya drops her. 

"You can't win this," Willow says. "I am too powerful." She stands up again and pulls the board from her body. She heals immediately, and punches Anya in the face. Anya bends backward from the force of the punch, but she doesn't fall. As she lifts her head back up, Willow grabs her on both sides of her face and shoves her backwards. This time, Anya falls. Willow pounces on her and punches her in the face.

"Why the hell won't you just die?" screams Willow as she beats Anya's face. Anya kicks Willow in the back of the head, causing her to slump forward enough for Anya to escape. Anya slips out from under Willow and stands up, punching Willow on the back of her neck, at the base of her skull.

"Because I am already dead, you stupid bitch!" Anya then grabs a bookcase and pulls it over on top of Willow. She looks around, and grabs a statue off another shelf. As Willow stands up, Anya smashes her over the head with the statue. The statue shatters, and Willow turns around to face Anya. In one swift movement, Willow reaches out and puts her fist through Anya's stomach. Anya spits some blood out to the side as she turns to look at Willow's fist, covered in Anya's blood, sticking out of her back.

"It's time to end this!" screams Willow as she yanks her fist back through Anya's body. Anya falls to the floor, and tries to scramble away.

"What's the matter, Anya? Is the witch more powerful than you thought?" asks Willow as she steps closer to Anya. She kicks the vampire in the side, and watches her fall to the floor. "There is nothing you can do to stop me now! This time, I will make sure you are dead!"

  
"Tara!" screams Anya. Willow turns to look behind her.

"Where?" Willow asks. Then, when she sees that Tara is not around, she turns back to Anya. Anya has a gun, and shoots Willow in the chest, sending her flying up and back.

"Tara is dead, Willow," says Anya. "And now, you get to join her!" Anya scoots slowly across the floor until she is beside Willow.

"Is it true?" Willow asks. Her eyes are no longer black, and tears are streaming down her face. "Is Tara dead?" she chokes.

"Of course! She was dead before you ever got here, you fool!" hisses Anya, blood spraying from her mouth as she speaks.

"Then, I have no reason to go on," sobs Willow. "Anya…"

  
"What do you want?" says Anya as she points the gun at Willow's face.

"End it for me," says Willow as she lets herself fade into unconsciousness.

***

"You really believe that Xander sired Riley?" asks Giles. "Where would you ever get such an idea?"

"Willow."

"What?" 

"Willow. She said that whoever is doing this is going after the ones I love."

"Oh. But, that doesn't mean," begins Giles. A look from Buffy causes him to end his sentence there.

"There's more."

"More? How can there be more?" asks Giles.

"I think that Riley and Xander have kidnapped Tara. For all I know, they have killed her. Or, worse, sired her. I didn't have the heart to tell Willow."

"Where is Willow?"

"I sent her to the Magic Box, to get Anya to… Oh, my God! Giles, I sent her to the Magic Box! We have to go!"

"Buffy, she should be safe in the Magic Box. She is a powerful witch, and with all the magic there, she could protect herself. Besides, Anya…" 

"Exactly! Anya! The one person that Xander would most want at his side!"

"Dear lord," says Giles, as he stands up and heads to the door of his apartment. He grabs his coat as he opens the door. Buffy pushes past him and he steps out into the night, pulling the door closed behind him.

***

"I love this place," says Riley as he flops onto the couch next to Xander. "I've always wanted to live in a castle!"

"Calm yourself, soldier," says Xander. Riley looks at him.

"Why do you call me that?" Riley asks.

"Because I can," Xander says in a dismissive tone. He bends over the side of couch and pulls up a piece of material. "Here," he says as he hands it to Riley. "This is your new uniform."

"A loincloth?" Riley asks. "I am not going to wear this!"

"You will wear it."

"Like hell!" Riley says. Xander punches him in the face, breaking his nose.

"Remember your place, soldier!" hisses Xander as he stares into Riley's eyes. "You will wear it, I said!"

"Yes, sir," says Riley. He stands up and leaves the room, taking the loincloth with him. Tara and Dawn enter the room as Riley leaves. A moment later, Joyce steps into the room, wearing a strapless red velvet dress that leaves very little to the imagination. She walks seductively over to Xander and straddles him.

"Oh, I love this dress, Xander," she coos. Xander pushes her to the side and stands up. He walks over to a chair and sits back down, leaving a pouting Joyce on the couch.

"I don't want to play," he says. Joyce gets up from the couch and walks over to the chair. She stands beside it and reaches out to Xander. She puts her finger under his chin and pushes his face up until he is looking at her. She stares into his eyes for a moment. 

"What troubles you?" she asks as she sits on the arm of the chair.

"Anya," says Xander.

"Again?" sighs Joyce. "Why do you even care? She's just another vampire."

"Wrong," says Xander as he shoves Joyce off the chair as he stands up. She falls to the floor and looks up at him, not able to imagine that he could do such a thing to her. "She is more than a vampire! Besides, we should have heard from her by now."

  
"But, she doesn't even know where we are," says Tara as she enters the room, wearing nothing but a silky black negligee. 

"Dammit!" says Xander. "I knew I was forgetting something!" Tara walks over to him and starts massaging his shoulders. He shrugs her off and steps away from her. She looks at him, a hurt look on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asks. He looks at her and then, without responding, turns away and walks across the room. "You never want to play," she pouts.

"Tell me about it," says Joyce, her voice full of disgust.

"You're gay!" Xander screams at Tara. "I wish you would remember that! What about Willow?"

"Oh, she's gay, too," says Dawn as she enters the room.

"I know that!" screams Xander. "God, what is wrong with all of you? Why don't you go out and kill someone, or something?"

  
"Oh, can we?" asks Dawn. She turns to leave, and Xander stops her.

"Actually, no. You can't," says Xander. "We need to stay together."

"But, why?" whines Dawn. "It is no fun here!" She picks up a chair and throws it across the room.

"Well, maybe the three of you could do something for me…"

"Yes?" says Dawn.

"Really?" asks Joyce, as she stands up and smiles.

"Just name it, boss," says Tara.

"Well, like Tara was kind enough to point out, Anya doesn't know where we are, and therefore cannot join us. Perhaps the three of you would be willing to go to the magic shop and retrieve her? And, anyone she has with her?"

"Yes!" exclaims Dawn.

"Of course. Anything for you," coos Joyce.

"Sure, but…" says Tara.

"But what?" asks Xander.

"Why all three of us? Any one of us could handle that job alone."

  
"Not necessarily. Buffy is still out there, as are Willow and Giles. If the three of them have managed to figure out what is going on, then they may be working together to try to destroy us. The fact is, Anya may already be lost. The three of you have a much better chance of getting there and back without problems."

"I don't need the two of them," says Tara. She holds out her hand and a blue flame flickers to life, about three inches above it. "I have better control over my magic now than I did before I was sired." As if to demonstrate, she tosses the flame at the chair Dawn had thrown across the room. The chair is enveloped by flame, and then, in an instant, the flames are gone, and in the place of the chair, there is only a pile of ash. Xander smiles at the fact that there is no damage done to anything else.

"You've been practicing," he says.

"Of course! I never realized how foolish I had been when it comes to magic."

"But, Willow will always be stronger," Xander reminds her. She takes a step backwards, as if he has reached out and slapped her. She bends her head forward.

"Unfortunately, yes," she says.

"So, you will take Dawn and Joyce with you, like I said, right?"

"Yes," she says, knowing that she has been defeated.

"Yes!" cries Dawn. "I finally get to see some action!"

"So, we should be going, then," says Joyce as she heads for the door. Tara glares at her, and Joyce bows her head in submission, and falls in step behind the witch, with Dawn bringing up the rear.

"We'll return as quickly as possible," says Tara.

"Take your time. I have a couple of things I need to get done, and I can do that much better without the lot of you distracting me. We have to be prepared for when Buffy finally gets here. Oh, and one more thing," he says. The three vampires stop and look at him. "Make sure you aren't followed. You are to get Anya and bring her here. If she has sired anyone, then they come to. Do not let Buffy know where we are staying. The time will come when she needs to know, but we still have things to do before she arrives. Don't disappoint me."

"Yes," says Joyce.

"Sure," adds Dawn.

"Of course," says Tara as she leads the others out of the room.


	2. Part 2

Willow sits up and looks around. She looks down at herself, surprised that she is completely healed. She looks around at what remains of the Magic Box, and then her eyes settle on Anya, who is lying on the floor a few feet away. She carefully gets to her feet and walks over to Anya. She drops to her knees and grabs Anya by the shoulders. Slowly, Willow turns Anya over, so she can see her face. Anya opens her eyes and blinks at Willow.

"You're still alive?" Willow asks as she looks at the extent of Anya's wounds.

"No, Willow, I am still undead. There's a difference."

"What happened?"

"I sired you," Anya explains. "It healed you." She coughs up some blood and spits it off to the side.

"So, after everything, you didn't kill me? Why not?"

"Because, you are vital to us. Your magic…"

"You sired me just so you could get at my magic?" demands Willow angrily.

"I had to. I was following orders."

"But, I told you to kill me! Why should I have to suffer when Tara is gone from the world?"  


"Tara isn't gone," says Anya in a weak voice.

"Huh? What? But you said Tara was dead."

"Tara was sired by Xander, or maybe Riley," explains Anya. "They said she was needed, too."

"But, why?" asks Willow.

"Because," says Anya, in an even weaker voice.

"God, this is hopeless," says Willow as she drops Anya to the floor. She stands up and points at Anya.

"_Conferva_!" she calls. Anya is suddenly healed, and she sits up, looking down at herself.

"Wow," she says.

  
"Now, tell me what is going on."

"Xander has a plan. He wants to rule the world. But first, he wants to get rid of Buffy. But, he wants to play with her before he kills her. I tried to tell him that it was foolish plan, but he says that he will succeed where others have failed. He is convinced he can defeat her."

"No," smirks Willow. "He is convinced that we, as a group, can defeat her. I should have guessed." She thinks about it for a moment. "Who all is involved so far?"

"Xander sired Riley, and the two of them came here with Tara. Riley held Tara as Xander sired me. I don't know which one of them sired Tara. The three of them left me here to sire either you or Giles, whichever came in here first, or both of you if I could get to you one at a time. Buffy was to be left alone, and sent off on a wild goose chase, so that we would have time for all of the preparations."

"Preparations? What preparations?"

"I don't know. He told me only to stay here and sire you and or Giles. That is all I know."

"Hmm… Are you sure? Did they say anything about where they might be headed when they left? Do you know where they were going to set themselves up?"

"I don't think so. Let me think… Riley held the door open and Xander carried Tara out. He said… He said they were going to the hospital."

  
"The hospital?" asks Willow, wondering why they would be taking Tara to the hospital.

"Yeah," says Anya, making the connection. "My guess is that Joyce and Dawn have been sired as well, and are already with Xander, wherever he is now."

"Right," says Willow. "Wherever he is now. That is what we need to find out. By now, they would have left the hospital and set themselves up somewhere. We just have to figure out where."

"But, how are we supposed to do that? They could be just about anywhere! We don't have time to go searching for them!"

"We don't have to," says Willow. She closes her eyes and concentrates, and a small yellow ball of light appears before her. She opens her eyes and smiles. "Find Xander," she says. The ball of light slowly moves through the air, leading the way. Willow pulls Anya to her feet and the two of them follow the ball, which moves more quickly as they follow it, measuring its own pace by the speed at which Willow is moving.

***

"I hope we get there before anything bad happens," says Giles.

"We'd better," says Buffy. "I'll never be able to forgive myself if…" 

"It isn't your fault, Buffy," says Giles.

"Isn't it?" cries Buffy as she stops and turns to face Giles. "I knew Xander was a vampire, and I kept that information from Willow. I had every reason to believe that Riley is also a vampire, and that he and Xander had kidnapped Tara. Then, because I wanted to talk to you about it, I sent Willow off on her own, possibly into a trap. A trap that might be fatal. How is that not my fault?"

"Buffy, I…" He stops, not knowing what he can say to make her feel better. She turns away from him, and takes a step towards town.

"What? There is nothing you can say, Giles. I wasn't thinking, and now, Willow is suffering for it."

"We don't know that," argues Giles. "We do not know what is happening at the Magic Box. Or what _has happened_ there, for that matter. All we know for certain is that Willow might be in trouble. It is possible that she, Anya and Tara are at the shop right now, calling my apartment to tell us that Tara is safe."

"We're on the hellmouth, Giles. Nothing ever works that way on a hellmouth." She stops and holds her arm out in front of Giles, bringing him to a halt as well.

"What is it?" Giles whispers.

"I don't know," Buffy answers. "I thought I heard something." Suddenly, a group of Glory's minions come at them, waving weapons and screaming. Buffy looks at Giles and prepares to fight. As the group gets closer, they all stop. One of them steps forward and confronts Buffy.  
  
"What have you done to the magnificent Glorificus?" he demands.

"The what?" asks Buffy. She looks at Giles, wondering if he has a clue as to what this creature in front of her is talking about. He shakes his head, indicating that he has no idea, either.

"Glorificus! What have you done to her?"

"Her? What are you talking about?" asks Buffy.

"The great and powerful Glorificus! We know you did something to her! Our bond has been severed, and we want to know why!"

"Look, I have no idea what you are talking about! I have someplace to be, so if you don't want to get severely beaten, you will get out of my way!"

"Are you on your way to the Key?" the minion asks.

"The Key? How… Oh, I get it. You're her minions. The demon-lady. You all work for her, don't you?"

"Of course! Now, what did you do to her?"

  
"I didn't do anything to her. Now, I have things to do, so get out of my way, or suffer the consequences!"

"We serve Glorificus! Attack!" screams the minion. The others come forward in a surge, and Buffy and Giles are suddenly surrounded by them. Buffy punches the one who was speaking, and as he falls backward, he takes three others with him. Buffy screams in the face of another, and he throws his sword, killing one of his comrades. Buffy grabs the creature and picks him up over her head. She throws him into the crowd, knocking several others over. Meanwhile, Giles is fighting four at a time. Buffy takes a step closer, in an effort to help him, when he kicks one of them, and the others scatter. He jumps out of the tangle, and lands a few feet ahead of where they stopped. Buffy jumps over a couple of the minions and lands beside him. They glance at each other before they start running.

"Geez," says Buffy, when they have gone a couple of blocks and stop to catch their breath. "No wonder she wants that Key so badly. With minions like those…"

"What a day for my car to break down," gasps Giles as he tries to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asks him. "You look really red."

"I'll be fine, as soon as I catch my breath."

"Can you walk? We still have to get to the Magic Box."

"You go on ahead," says Giles as he falls to the ground. "I'll catch up."

"No way," says Buffy. "Those guys, as incompetent as they are, may have followed us. And, we don't know what other dangers are out here. I already have to worry about Willow. I am not leaving you here."

"I can hobble," says Giles.

"Good enough. We have to keep moving."

Buffy grabs Giles's hand and pulls him back to his feet. She lets him use her for support as they again head toward the magic shop. As they make their way through town, Giles starts to feel better, and leans on Buffy less and less. After a few minutes, he is moving on his own. A moment later, he starts to walk faster. Buffy has no problem keeping up, but he can see that she wants to go faster.

"Go ahead. I will be right behind you," Giles tells her.

"No," she tells him as she shakes her head. "I already told you that I am not leaving you. We go together, or we don't go at all."

"But, you can get there faster. I am only slowing you down. Go."

"No! Right now, I know that you are safe. The moment I leave you, I have to start wondering if you are still safe. It's more than I can handle right now. We will stay together. Besides, we are almost there now, anyway."

Giles looked around and was surprised to see that Buffy was right. He wondered how he had gotten so turned around that he wasn't aware how close they really were. The two of them turn the corner and the shop is only a few feet away. Giles manages to pick up the pace once again, and soon they were standing in front of the shop. Buffy opens the door, and Giles walks in. Buffy bumps into him from behind, because he has come to a stop, frozen in surprise by the scene before him.

"Giles, move out of the way," says Buffy as she pushes him forward. He moves forward a step, and Buffy steps around him. She stops when she sees the condition of the place. Blood and broken merchandise cover almost every inch of the room. Buffy looks around, searching for any signs of life. Giles just remains where he is, devastated by the condition of his store. Finally, Buffy is certain that there is no one there, and she looks up at Giles.

"It's all my fault," she sobs. "I killed my best friend, because I couldn't tell her the truth. What kind of a person am I?"

"Buffy," says Giles.

"I should have just told her. Or, I could have at least warned her. Now, it's too late."

"Buffy!" Giles exclaims. She shuts her mouth and looks at him.

"What?"

"We have to go. Now."

"Why?"

"We have to get to the hospital."

"Oh, God!" screams Buffy as all the color drains from her face. Giles opens his mouth to say something, but Buffy rushes past him, heading toward the hospital.

***

"There you are," says Riley as he enters the library and finds Xander reading a large, leather-bound book.

"Quiet!" hisses Xander.

"You can't talk to me that way! Who do you think you are?" demands Riley. Xander slams the book closed and stands up. He leaps across the room and lands next to Riley. He punches Riley in the stomach, and, while Riley is bent forward, Xander brings both of his arms down on his back. Riley falls to the floor.

"You still haven't learned your place," says Xander as he kicks Riley in the side. "You exist only because I wish it to be so!" He kicks Riley again. "Never forget that!" He then bends down and grabs Riley by the hair, pulling him to his feet. Riley looks into Xander's eyes, challenging him. Xander raises his knee, smashing it into Riley's groin. He then grabs Riley's shoulders and throws him against the wall. He walks over and kneels by Riley, looking into his eyes. With one hand, Xander grabs Riley's arm and twists it so hard it comes out of its socket with a loud pop. Riley moans in pain. 

"Have you learned your lesson, soldier?" Xander asks as he continues to stare into Riley's eyes. Riley's eyes never move. He just continues to glare up at Xander. Xander stands up and kicks Riley in the side again. He keeps kicking until he is certain that he has broken Riley's ribs. He then bends down and lifts Riley from the floor. He carries him out into the hall and body slams him on the stairs. Riley slides down a couple of stairs, and begins to spit up blood. Xander jumps on top of him, crushing his chest, and causing his broken ribs to tear at his insides. 

Xander then steps onto the stair above Riley and looks down on him. Riley looks up at his sire. Xander smiles and sets one foot on the stair beside Riley's head. With all of his strength, Xander kicks Riley in the head, sending him up into the air, twisting in gruesome somersaults as blood sprays from his mouth. Riley lands with a sickening thud at the bottom of the stairs. He is only barely conscious, but is fully aware that less than a second passes before Xander is standing beside him again.

"Do you know your place now, soldier?" Xander asks. He kneels beside Riley and forcefully flips him onto his back. Riley stares up into Xander's eyes, and then looks away, admitting defeat.

"Good," says Xander as he picks Riley up from the floor. He carries him into the nearest room and places him gently on a couch. "You know, you aren't required to be around in order for my plan to work. Buffy will be more upset if she knows you are a vampire, but I am sure your death would hit her pretty hard, too. You would do well to remember that."

Xander then turns and leaves the room, heading back up to the library. He is halfway up the stairs when he stops and turns around. He goes back downstairs and enters the room where he left Riley. He walks over to the broken vampire and squats beside him. He reaches out and moves a bit of hair from Riley's face. Riley looks at him, as if asking him what he wants. Xander raises a fist, and Riley flinches. Xander smiles and pats Riley on the shoulder. He then stands up and heads to the door again. When he reaches the door, he turns back to Riley.

"The next time I see you, you should probably be wearing your new uniform. If you know what's good for you, anyway." He then turns and leaves the room. He walks back up to the library to continue his research.

***

Dawn looks up from the man she has just drained, and smiles when she sees the woman crouching in the corner. She looks around at the others. Joyce is still busy with the man whom she had attacked, and Tara was letting the woman she had attacked think that she was going to escape. As Tara grabs hold of the woman and bites into her, Dawn lunges at the woman who is cowering in the corner. The woman screams, and Dawn laughs. Dawn doesn't even bother to try to stop her from screaming. Instead, Dawn scratches her, making her scream even more. Joyce and Tara turn to watch as Dawn takes on her newest victim.

"Please, let me go," the woman cries.

"Let you go?" repeats Dawn, as if she has never heard the words before. She runs her fingers lightly over the woman's cheek. "But, I'm so hungry."

"I don't want to die!"

"Hmm… Well, the thing is," says Dawn as she runs her fingers through the woman's hair. She suddenly entangles her fingers in it and yanks. "You don't have to die."

"W-what do you mean?" asks the woman.

"Well, I could just take a little. I don't have to take it all. I could…" She looks over at Tara and Joyce. They are both watching her. She turns back to the woman and leans in close. She whispers in the woman's ear. "I could make you like me." The woman's eyes grow wide with fright, and Tara and Joyce smile broadly. Tara raises the woman she is still holding to her mouth and continues to drain her.

"It's not so bad," Dawn whispers. "You'll never get old. You never have to worry about disease. And, you get to kill people. It'll be fun. So, what do you say?"

"Please," the woman says again. "Just let me go. I won't tell anyone about you, I promise."

"Now, see, this just makes me angry," says Dawn as she stands up. She turns around and looks at Tara and Joyce. She points at the woman on the ground. "She doesn't care! I offer her eternal life, and she refuses! What is her problem?"

"Now, Sweetie," says Joyce. "Not everyone can appreciate what we offer."

"I can," says Tara as she watches Joyce.

"Tara, stop it," says Joyce. She turns her attention back to Dawn. "I suppose it is up to you to make the choice for her. That's really the best thing to do in a situation like this."

"Mother knows best," says Dawn as she turns and crouches beside the woman again. "You know what, lady? I was going to give you a great gift. However, when you declined my generous offer, I was greatly hurt. Just because I am undead doesn't mean that I have no feelings." She reached out and scratched the woman's face, causing blood to flow down her face. "You hurt my feelings, so I hurt you. Except, you know what? I don't think you hurt as much as I do." The woman looks at Dawn, fear evident in her eyes.

"What do you do for a living?" Dawn asks her. The woman looks at her, as if she doesn't understand. Dawn grabs the woman's wrist and twists it violently. The woman cries out. "Please don't make me ask it again," warns Dawn.

"I-I am unemployed. I am living with my cousin until I get a job and manage to save up enough to get a place of my own."

"I live in a castle," Dawn tells her. "Wouldn't you like to live in a castle? Isn't it every girl's dream to live in a castle, and be treated like a princess?"

"No one would treat you like a princess," says the woman. "You're a monster."

"Well, thank you oh so much for that!" screams Dawn. She twists the woman's wrist a little more, and then grabs her hand. Staring into her eyes, Dawn breaks the woman's little finger. "See? This is what happens to anyone who refuses to treat us like royalty!" She breaks the other fingers, one at a time. The woman's screams echo through the alley. Tara and Joyce continue to watch in admiration.

"I've made the decision for you," Dawn declares after the woman quits screaming and the echoes die. "I have decided that you are not worthy of the gift I offer, and, therefore, must die!" She then reaches out and breaks the woman's neck.

"Do one of you want her blood?" Dawn asks as she once again turns to face Tara and Joyce. "She sickens me."

Tara looks at the woman, and then shakes her head. Joyce frowns and turns away. Dawn shrugs and moves away from the body. The three of them leave the body behind, and continue their journey to the Magic Box. A small yellow ball of light comes around a corner, and the three of them stop. When Willow rounds the corner, the three of them tense up, not certain what they should do next. As Anya rounds the corner, Tara releases her breath. She gives Anya a look, and Anya nods.

"Will?" asks Tara. 

"Yeah, Tara. It's me. We are all on the same side here. Let's go find Xander and get the details about this grand scheme of his. After we have the details, we will decide if we need him or not…"

"Willow, I am surprised at you," says Joyce. "I'd never have guessed that you could be so evil. I like it!"

"I knew," says Tara as she wraps her arms around Willow and kisses her.

"Mmm," says Willow. "You taste even better now."

"Thanks," says Tara.

"God!" says Dawn. "Make out later. We have work to do!"

"My, Dawnie," says Willow. "You are certainly in a mood. Is it your time of the month?" She turns to Anya. "Do vampires even have a time of the month?"

"No," says Anya. "Being dead, or rather, undead, our ovaries no longer work, so we never have to deal with that sort of thing again. Unless…"

"Unless what?" asks Joyce.

"Well, I don't know how it would work if it is your time of the month when you are sired. Supposedly, you remain as you are the moment you are sired. I don't know if that means you would forever be in your time of the month or not…"

The others all cringe at the thought of constantly having PMS. They look at each other, and then they all burst out laughing. The five of them then begin walking back to the castle, following Willow's conjured guide. Tara stays near the rear, all senses tuned to determine if they are being followed. Dawn notices that Tara, the one who led them from the castle to the place where they met up with Willow and Anya, was staying behind. She starts to lag behind the others, matching her pace to Tara's.

"What's up?" she asks Tara.

"Possibly nothing. But, we were told to make certain we weren't followed. I intend to make sure we weren't."

"You think Willow would…"

"No. She has embraced her evil side. She wouldn't dare do anything to lead Buffy to us now."

  
"Then, what?"

"Buffy isn't the only one out there, Dawn. We don't know where Giles is, and we don't know about the demon-lady…" Tara sighs. "And, I may be overreacting, so I don't know. I just know that I gave my word that I would make sure that we weren't followed, and I intend to keep it."

"You're a lot like her," Dawn tells her.

"Who? I am a lot like who?"

"Tara. Before you were sired, I mean."

"Hmm… I don't know what I think about that." They continue their walk, completely silent.

***

As Buffy and Giles near the hospital, they are immediately concerned by the multitude of police cars and flashing lights. There is yellow tape up all over the place. Buffy's heart sinks lower in her chest as she takes it all in. She walks numbly through the barricade, with Giles explaining to the police that Buffy's mother and sister are inside. She lets herself be led inside the building, fearing that she is already too late. They are stopped upon entry. 

"What business do you have here?" asks a cop.

"This girl's mother and sister are here," Giles says as he indicates Buffy. The officer looks at Buffy, who nods.

"Name?" 

"Summers," says Giles. The officer makes a face and holds up a hand, indicating that they should wait where they are. He walks over to a desk and picks up a clipboard, which he studies for a moment before returning.

"Joyce Summers is the only one listed. You said something about a mother and sister?" 

"Joyce Summers was the patient. Her daughter, Dawn, was just visiting. May we go see them?" Giles asks.

"I am afraid not," says the cop. "You see… Joyce Summers is among the missing."

"Missing?" asks Buffy in a pained voice. She looks at Giles.

"What do you mean, among the missing?" Giles demands.

"Joyce Summers, patient, and an orderly… Ben. No last name listed yet," explains the officer.

"Ben? He's missing, too?" Buffy asks, not sure what the connection might be.

"You know him?" the officer asks.

"Yes. I mean, not really. He has helped us… When my mother first got sick…" Buffy says. Then, almost as an afterthought, she adds: "What about Dawn? Where is she?"

"No Dawn anywhere on our lists," says the officer. Buffy grabs Giles's arm and leans against him for support. The color drains from her face. "That just means," explains the officer, "that she is not confirmed dead. Nor has she been listed as missing. It is possible that she is still around, though we have no idea where."

"C-can we go to my mother's room?" Buffy asks.

"Let me check with the guy in charge. Please wait here."

"What do we do?" Buffy whispers to Giles as the officer makes his way to the desk to check on their request.

"I don't know, Buffy. I honestly don't. This is not something we had anticipated. I guess we should search the room, looking for details?" The uncertainty in his voice makes Buffy very uncomfortable. She is about to speak again when the officer returns.

"I was told that you can go anywhere that isn't blocked off by yellow tape," says the man as he turns and heads over to a small group of people who are just entering the hospital.

Buffy and Giles make their way to the room where Joyce had been. Buffy lets out a sigh of relief when she sees that there is no yellow tape on the door. She rushes in and looks around. Giles follows, more cautiously. He examines the bed and the machines while Buffy checks the wardrobe. When Buffy gasps, Giles looks up. As he walks up behind her, he sees her reach out with trembling fingers to grab an envelope off the shelf where Joyce's clothes had been. On the back of the envelope is Buffy's name. Buffy lifts the envelope and turns to face Giles.

"I can't open it," she says.

"Do you want me to?" asks Giles as he reaches up to take it from her. She nods, but then, at the last second, she pulls her hand back, preventing him from taking the envelope. She walks over to the bed and sits on the edge. Giles makes his way over and sits beside her.

"One of us really should read that," Giles says.

"I don't want to," says Buffy.

"Then, let me," Giles offers.

"No!" she screams as she jumps up from the bed and puts the envelope behind her back. Giles stands up and takes a step toward her. Her eyes go wide and she backs herself into a corner. Giles stops, afraid to move forward. A police officer appears in the doorway.

"Is everything okay in here?" the officer asks.

"No," says Buffy. "My mom was in here! She was connected to all of these machines earlier! They said… They said…" She starts sobbing. The officer looks at Giles. Giles crosses the room to Buffy and embraces her. She falls into his embrace and cries. The officer bows his head and leaves the room. After a couple of minutes, Buffy calms herself.

"It's my fault, Giles. All of this."

  
"No, Buffy. None of this is your fault."

"All of it is my fault. If I hadn't made that deal with Spike and Drusilla… If I had killed them when I had the chance, then she wouldn't have been around to sire Xander. If she never sired Xander, then none of this would have happened."

  
"But, there's no way you could have known."

"It doesn't matter. I am the Slayer, not the DealMaker. I was not Chosen to make deals with vampires! I was Chosen to Slay them!"

"Blaming yourself isn't helping. We need to find out what is in that envelope. It may not be to late to save you mother and Dawn." 

"I… I can't open it," she chokes. Giles takes it from her, and she doesn't fight him. He opens the envelope and pulls out the paper inside. He reads it silently to himself, and then looks at Buffy. She stares up at him, waiting for him to tell her what the paper says. He turns away. She grabs the envelope and the paper that was inside it. She holds it up, in her shaking hands, and reads it. A cry of pain escapes her lips as she falls to the floor, dropping the letter.

***

Xander sets a black candle on one of the tables in the library and lights it. It burns with an eerie green flame. He smiles as he turns around to survey the rest of the room. There are four other candles, each burning with their own green flame. In the center of the room, there is a symbol drying on the floor. Xander walks over to a nearby table and looks at the book resting there. He scans the page, using his finger to keep track of his place. He turns the page and scans a couple more lines. Then, he begins to compare the items on the table with the list in the book. An evil grin crosses his face as he listens to the sounds of the others, making their way up the stairs. He grabs the table the book is resting on and moves it to the center of the room, covering the symbol.

The ball of yellow light enters the room first. Xander speaks the words carefully to himself before shutting the book and tossing it into a corner of the room. He arranges the items on the table and looks up as the others enter the room. The only one missing is Riley. Xander smiles to himself. He notices then, for the first time, that Willow is now leading the others.

"Willow," he says, nodding his hello. 

"Xander," she says, returning the nod. "Nice set-up you have here."

"Yeah, well," says Xander with a shrug. "Dracula isn't using it anymore." He turns his attention to Tara. "You're back sooner than I had expected. I guess this means no trouble?"

"No trouble," confirms Tara. She looks around. "Where's Riley?"

"He'll be along shortly, I would expect. Joyce, Dawn, why don't the two of you go check on him? Willow, Tara and I have some," he pauses for a moment, as if searching for the proper word to use. "Negotiating to do."

"Okay," says Joyce, with a smile. Her eyes sparkle with mischief.

"I don't wanna go check on him," whines Dawn.

"Then, find something else to do," says Xander with a wave of his hand. Dawn smiles and turns to go. "But," adds Xander, "don't leave the castle. We still aren't ready for Buffy to find us."

"Fine. I am sure I can find something to keep myself entertained," mutters Dawn as she follows her mother out of the room. 

"What about me," asks Anya.

"Do whatever you feel like, Anya. This is our new home. Explore," says Xander.

"Hmm… I always wanted to live in a castle," says Anya as she wanders out through the doors.

"What's going on?" asks Willow, after Anya has left.

"Please, sit. We need to talk," sys Xander as he crosses behind them to close the doors. Neither of the witches notices him bar the door. Tara sits immediately, unconcerned about the reasoning behind this meeting. Willow cautiously sits beside Tara as Xander makes his way to the other side of the table. He sits down across from Willow.

"What's going on?" Willow demands.

"Like I said, we need to negotiate."

"Be more specific," says Willow. Tara looks at her.

"What are you doing?" Tara asks Willow. Willow turns to face her.

  
"He's up to something. I want to know what."

"You know me too well, Will. However, you still don't know me well enough!" hisses Xander as he stands. He extends his arm across the table. He is holding a crystal formation, which begins to glow. "_Contineo_!" Xander says. The air crackles, but nothing seems to change. Willow tries to stand up, but is unable to move.

"What are you doing?" she hisses.

"Taking what is rightfully mine!" hisses Xander. "You think you are so superior to me, because you have magic." He spits at her. "Well, that is going to change!"

"Xander, why?" asks Tara.

"Why? _Why?_ Because, I am tired of being the one with nothing!" he screams. "I have done so much to help, and it never gets appreciated! I stopped zombies from destroying the school, and no one even knew! I am tired of being a nobody!"

"I never thought you were a nobody," says Tara.

"Tara, shut up," says Willow. She turns to face Xander. "So, what's the plan? You going to kill us now, because you know we are more powerful than you are? Is that it?"

Xander laughs maniacally. There is pounding on the door, and muffled voices coming from outside. Xander sets the crystal on the table and looks into Willow's eyes. He smiles and turns away. He walks over to a shelf and retrieves two small cauldrons. He places them on the table in front of Willow. Tara looks on with interest, seemingly unconcerned by what is happening.

"Leave us!" Xander screams at the door. There is a muffled response, and the pounding stops. Xander returns his attention to the two vampires sitting at the table.

"Do you know the term _veneficus furunculus_?" he asks.

"No," admits Willow.

"I have heard of them," says Tara. Xander and Willow look at her. 

"Please, Tara, enlighten your girlfriend for me," Xander says.

"I am not entirely certain what they were. My mother spoke of them a couple of times. They were used to gather more magic for the witches in certain covens. I don't have any details of how they did it, though."

"God, Tara. Is that all the information you have?" demands Xander. She nods, and he rolls his eyes. "Listen carefully, then. A _veneficus furunculus_ is someone, or something, that steals the power of others. The most direct translation would be 'magic-thief.' There's a book here that told me all about them, and the spells they used to extract the power of other magic-users."

"You want our magic?" Tara asks, not believing what she has just heard.

"Damn you!" hisses Willow. "I knew this was a trick!"

"Yeah, you always were the smart one," says Xander. He places the items from the table into one of the cauldrons. He looks up at Willow again, smiling. "The thing is… I need some of your blood."

"Why didn't you just ask? I would have given it to you willingly," says Tara.

  
"I couldn't take that chance," says Xander. He reaches out with a knife and makes a small cut on Tara's hand. She smiles up at him. He takes the empty cauldron and allows some of her blood to flow into it.

"Why are you helping him," demands Willow. Tara looks at her, with pain in her eyes.

"He created us. Well, not directly, since Riley sired me and Anya sired you, but, since he sired both of them, he did, in effect, create us as well. We should be loyal to him."

"You're insane! We could have taken control of everything!" screams Willow. 

"That's not the way it works," says Tara as she shakes her head. Xander laughs and holds up the cauldron.

"Your turn," he tells Willow. He sets the cauldron on the floor beside her and looks into her eyes. "I didn't figure you would be willing to give me your blood. I knew I would have to take it." He bends down and kisses her on her forehead. Then, without warning, he takes the knife and stabs her in her side, letting the blood spill out over his hand. He watches her eyes as the blood pours out of her. He takes a step back, leaving the knife in her side. He bends down and retrieves the cauldron from the floor, ignoring the continuing gush of blood. Setting the cauldron on the table, he looks at Willow again.

"You and Riley have a lot in common. He doesn't yet know his place, either." He then holds his arm over the cauldron and bites himself. The blood trickles slowly into the cauldron, and, with his other hand, Xander lifts the other cauldron from the table. He holds it above the first cauldron.

"_Delego!_" he says as he pours the contents of the suspended cauldron over his arm and into the resting one. There is a blinding flash of light and the doors of the library collapse inward.

***

"Help!" cries Giles as he picks Buffy up and sets her on the bed. A nurse appears in the doorway, followed by a police officer. The nurse rushes to Buffy's side. The officer notices the letter on the floor and picks it up.

"What happened?" demands the nurse.

"I… She…" says Giles. He takes a deep breath. "She fainted."

"I can see why," says the officer. "The poor girl." He holds out the letter, and Giles takes it. The nurse looks at him as he folds the letter, but says nothing. The officer leaves the room, and the nurse returns her attention to Buffy.

"She doesn't appear to be hurt. That is a good sign," says the nurse after she has examined Buffy. "I'll go get some smelling salts to revive her."

  
"Thank you," says Giles as the nurse turns to go. He looks down at Buffy, wondering if he had made a mistake, letting her see the letter. The letter, written by Joyce, had told Buffy that, if she was reading the letter, then Joyce must be dead. It contained the things that Joyce had not gotten the chance to tell Buffy. Giles shakes his head, blaming himself for Buffy lying in the bed, unconscious. 

"This should wake her up," says the nurse as she walks back into the room, holding a small capsule. She steps up to the bed, breaks the capsule in her hands, and then waves it beneath Buffy's nose. Buffy scrunches her face and turns her head, but the nurse follows. Buffy snorts and opens her eyes. The nurse pulls the foul-smelling capsule away. Buffy sits up slowly, holding her head.

"What happened?" she asks.

"You fainted," says the nurse. "But, you should be okay now."

  
"Thank you," Giles tells the nurse. The nurse just smiles at him and leaves. He turns his attention back to Buffy. Buffy watches the nurse, making sure that the woman is out of the room. She looks back at Giles.

"I know where they are," she says as she throws her legs over the side of the bed and stands up.

"What? How?" asks Giles, clearly confused.

"Prophetic dreams, remember?" Buffy reminds him, as she points to her head.

"But, you were only out a couple of seconds," says Giles.

"Still got the information. They are in the same castle that Dracula used," explains Buffy. She grabs his arm and hangs her head. "Giles, we're the only ones left."

"What?" 

"Xander did it. He eliminated every one of my friends. Riley. Willow and Tara. They are all vampires. Even Anya," Buffy explains as she leaves the room, heading for the exit. "But, that wasn't enough for him, Giles. He couldn't stop there."

"Buffy," begins Giles.

"No, Giles. There is nothing to say. Xander is playing a game. I know that now."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm changing the rules," says Buffy as she steps out of the hospital into the night. Giles hurries to catch up to her.

"Where are we going?" 

"To my house. I need weapons. I'm going to kill him."

"Buffy," Giles begins again.

"No!" screams Buffy. She stops and turns to face him. "He has a group of vampires that used to be my family and friends! He, or one of the others, sired my mother! And Dawn! There is nothing that can stop me from destroying him, so save your lecture!"

"I was just going to ask what the plan was," says Giles. Buffy looks at him for a couple of seconds before she turns away and starts walking again.

"We go to my house and get weapons. We go to the castle, and I kill him."

"I don't think it is going to be that easy."

"It never is, Giles. But that doesn't change anything. I am tired of letting him call the shots. I am tired of losing the ones I love. It's time for him to discover that he can't win."

They continue to walk in silence. There doesn't seem to be anything else to say. Buffy stalks through the streets of Sunnydale until she gets to the street she lives on. She stops cold. Giles looks in the direction of her house, and gasps. There are fire trucks in the street in front of the burnt remains of the house. He turns to look at Buffy. Her mouth is hanging open, and she doesn't appear to be aware of him at all. He passes his hand in front of her face, but she doesn't seem to see it. 

"Buffy?" he asks. He jumps as a fire truck rushes past, heading away from them. He turns back to the house, and sees that the firefighters are leaving. He turns back to Buffy and snaps his fingers in her face. She blinks and looks at him. She looks past him at the charred ruins that used to be her house.

"I can't believe this," she tells him.

"What do we do now," he asks in a somber tone.

"We go over there and see if there is anything we can salvage. The plan has only changed slightly. If I have to, I will break into every shop in this town until I get what I need to destroy him."

"What about the others?"

"What?"

"You say you are going to kill Xander. That you are going to destroy him and that nothing can stop you from doing it. But, you seem to be forgetting that he is not alone. There are six other vampires with him. One of them is an ex-vengeance demon. Two of them are powerful witches. One of them is your mother, and another is Dawn."

"I know that," says Buffy. 

"Do you?" asks Giles as he grabs her arms and forces her to look up at him. "You hate Xander. I get that. You want to destroy him, and I am not going to try to stop you. However, I won't let you go into this battle unprepared. Are you prepared to stake your best friend? Your boyfriend? Your sister? How about your mother?"

"That's not who they are anymore," says Buffy as she pulls away form him and heads into the charred remains of her home. "My best friend is dead. So is my boyfriend. My sister no longer exists. Neither does my mother. And Xander is the one who took them from me. But, that wasn't enough for him. He had to destroy my home, too. He will pay for every life he took. For everything he has destroyed!"

"Fine. He is going to pay. He _should_ pay. But, Buffy, storming in there is only going to get you killed!"

"No, it won't," says Buffy. Giles looks at her. 

"What makes you think so?"

"Look around you Giles! All of this tells me that he doesn't want me dead! If he wanted me dead, then I would be dead already. I can use that to my advantage."

"And you think he won't be prepared for you?"

"No, I am pretty sure he is expecting me. In fact, I am counting on it!"

"Buffy, you aren't making sense! Please," Giles begs. "Let's find another way!"

"What other way? What other way is there, Giles? It's down to just you and me! There is no one else who can help us!"

"I can't let you do this," says Giles. Buffy stares at him.

"What?" she asks.

"I can't let you jeopardize yourself like this. You have to stop. I will not let you destroy yourself!" screams Giles. Buffy jumps over to him and punches him in the stomach. When he bends over, she shoves him to the ground. She bends down beside him.

"I am going to that castle, and I am going to slaughter anything that moves once I enter it. There is nothing you can do to stop me, so either help me, or stay the hell out of my way!" she hisses into his ear. She stands up and looks down at him.

"So," she says in a calm voice. "What is your decision?"

Giles coughs and spits out some ash. He uses his hands to push himself up out of the wet ashes. He looks up at her, no longer recognizing her. He manages to pull himself to his feet and he stands in front of her, looking for something familiar in her face. When he finds nothing there but burning hatred, he turns away. He coughs again and then turns back to face her.

"You already know the answer," he tells her. 

"I thought you would see things my way," she says.

"Then, I was wrong," says Giles. Buffy stares up at him, not believing what she is hearing. "You don't know. You don't know anything!"

"I don't understand," says Buffy. "How can you be so callous? Why won't you help me?"

"I will not help you commit suicide, Buffy. I care too much for you to do that. If you really want to go to that castle right now, then you will have to go on your own. I am going back to my apartment to find out if there is another way. You can either come with me, and we can work together to find a solution that won't mean certain death for you, or you can go up to that castle and die. The choice is yours."

Giles then turns and starts heading to his apartment. As much as he would like to turn and see what she is doing, he keeps his head turned away from her. He concentrates on getting back to his apartment so that he can contact some friends in England. He hears a noise behind him and smiles.

"Glad you came to your—"

He stops when he sees that she is no longer around. He hangs his head and sighs. Then, with a deep breath, he starts walking after her. After a few steps, he stops again. He knows that if he goes after her now, then both of them will be killed. There is only one thing for him to do, and, although it breaks his heart, he turns and heads away, abandoning Buffy.

***

"What's going on in here?" demands Joyce. She is standing in the doorway, looking at Xander, who is slumped over the table. She gives Willow an accusatory look, and rushes to Xander's side. She pulls him up into her arms and looks at him. His eyes are closed. She gently sets him in a chair and turns her attention back to Willow and Tara.

"What did you do to him?" she demands.

"He did it to himself," says Willow.

"She's telling the truth," says Tara.

"I don't understand," says Joyce.

"He tried to steal out magic," says Willow. "Serves him right." She tries to get up, but is still held by the spell. 

"It's true," confirms Tara. "Well, except for the part about it serving him right." She tries to move. Joyce notices that neither of them can move and looks around. She spots the crystal on the table. It is still glowing. She reaches out to grab it.

"Stop!" screeches a voice that no one recognizes. Joyce looks up at Willow and Tara. They have the same expression of shock on their faces. She turns around and gasps at the sight before her. Xander is standing in front of the chair she placed him in. She is mesmerized by his stare. His eyes no longer resemble human eyes. Instead, they are solid black, with green flames flickering in them. Joyce involuntarily takes a step backward and stumbles over the edge of the table. As she falls, she looks away from him. When she lands, she covers her face with her arms. She stands up again and looks around. She sees the candles with their eerie green flames, and sighs. She turns to look at Willow and Tara again.

"Just a reflection," she tells them.

"Huh?" Willow says.

"The flames in his eyes, they are just reflections of the candle flames," she says with a laugh. She walks over and blows out one of the candles. She can feel Xander watching her. It makes her uncomfortable, but she refuses to look at him. She continues around the room and extinguishes three more candles. The only one left burning is now behind him. She smiles and turns to face him again.

"Surprise," says Xander, as the flames continue to dance across the surface of his eyes. He turns his attention to Willow and Tara. "_Vaco!_" he says as he waves his arm at them. The crystal on the table shatters, and the two witches stand up quickly. Willow moves behind Tara and grabs Joyce. Tara just smiles and stares at Xander. Willow drags Joyce to the door.

"Where are you going?" demands Xander. Willow stops and turns to face Xander.

"I am getting her out of here!" Willow screams.

"No," says Xander. "She is free to go if she wishes, but… Willow, you still have a lesson to learn."

Tara turns and looks at Willow and Joyce. She turns back to Xander. When he nods, Tara smiles and nods back to him. She turns and grabs Joyce's arm. She silently leads her out of the room. As she passes Willow, Tara looks into her eyes and smiles, as if to reassure her. Then, with one last look at Xander, she leaves the room.

"You wanted to take over, didn't you?" hisses Xander.

"You already know the answer to that," says Willow, defiantly. He raises his hand, and she falls to her knees, howling in pain.

"I want to hear you say it!"

"Yes! Yes!" screams Willow. "I wanted to be the leader!"

"Why?"

"Because, I was powerful! I had never realized just how powerful I was until I was fighting Anya in the magic shop. Then, after she sired me, I could feel the power flowing through me. It was the power that made me want to be in charge."

"Well, this is certainly an interesting turn of events." He lowers his arm, releasing her from the grips of pain. "Do you still feel this way? Like you want to be the leader?"

"No. I told you, it was the magic."

"Call me master."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I…" 

"No more excuses. You said you no longer want to be the leader. Prove it. Call me master."

"But..."

"No!" screams Xander as he lifts his hand again. Willow is lifted from the floor, and she writhes in the air, howling with pain. Xander drops his hand again, and Willow falls to the floor. "Call me master!" Xander demands.

"Yes, M-master," says Willow.

"I think you have learned your lesson."

"Yes, Master," Willow says again.

"You may go now," he says. Willow struggles to get to her feet and stumbles to the doorway, leaning on the frame for support. "Oh, and Will?" Xander calls to her. She pushes her hair out of her face and looks at him. "If you ever try to defy me again, I will kill you. Never forget that, okay?"

She nods her head and turns away. She takes a couple of steps, and Xander makes a gesture with his arm. She falls on her back and slides out of the room. Xander laughs maniacally as she slams into the wall across from the entrance to the library. She turns to look in his direction, and sees the doors to the library rise from the floor and mend themselves. They move into the doorway and reaffix themselves to their hinges. Willow closes her eyes and remains where she is, not wanting to move.

***

Giles opens the door to his apartment and hurries inside. He turns on the light and grabs the phone. He takes a moment to calm himself and decide which call to make first. He nods and dials a number. There is no answer, so he hangs up. He immediately lifts the phone from its base again and dials another number. He curses as he slams the phone back into its cradle. He walks into the kitchen and gets a glass out of the cupboard. He opens the cabinet above the refrigerator and pulls down a bottle of whiskey. As soon as he has the bottle and the glass, he goes back into the other room and sits on his couch. He pours himself a drink and gulps it down. Then, he refills the glass. He grabs the phone and dials a number.

"Hello?" he says as someone answers the phone. The person on the other end of the phone doesn't even get the chance to speak before there is a wild pounding on the door. Without thinking, Giles hangs up the phone and walks over to the door. He reaches out and grabs the knob, convinced that Buffy is the one on the other side. He turns the knob and prepares to open the door when the pounding suddenly stops. Someone screams. He pulls the door open and sees Dawn being pulled away from the door by two of the minions that he and Buffy fought earlier.

"Help!" she screams. "Giles, please!"

Without thinking, Giles steps out of his apartment and reaches for Dawn's outstretched hands. As he manages to get a grip on her wrists, one of the minions throws a sword at his face. Giles drops to the ground, and Dawn cries out in pain. Giles lets go, not wanting to hurt her. He realizes then that she is now captive of the minions. He looks around and spots the sword. He scrambles to his feet and rushes to where the sword is embedded in the wall. Pulling with all his strength, he manages to pull the sword out of the wall. He turns and throws the sword as he steps back into his apartment. The sword hits the minion that is holding Dawn. Free, she rushes forward.

"Hurry up!" calls Giles. "Get in here!" 

Dawn jumps and flies past Giles as she enters his apartment. He slams the door and locks it. He then grabs the sofa and moves it over in front of the door. After that, Giles bends down and pulls Dawn to her feet. She looks up at him, a frightened look on her face. He checks her for any wounds, and then, finding none, he lets her go. The minions start pounding on the door, trying to get in. Dawn gives Giles a panicked look. He motions to the kitchen.

"Quick! Get in there and hide! I'll see if I can find something to hold them off."

"I want to help!" screams Dawn. She looks around and grabs a lamp off a table. Giles looks at her, then shrugs. He looks around his apartment and wishes that he had more weapons. Finally, he rushes to the kitchen and grabs the largest knife he can find. When he returns to Dawn's side, she looks at the knife and smiles.

"What?" asks Giles.

"Nothing. I just thought… You know, with you being a watcher and all… I thought you would have some real weapons, is all."

"Yes, well… I am not used to being attacked in my apartment."

"Obviously," says Dawn as she rolls her eyes. A window breaks, and Dawn screams. She turns to face the window, raising the lamp she is holding above her head.

"We're not safe here," says Giles.

"No kidding!" Dawn says sarcastically. "How do you suggest we get out of here, though?"

"I… I don't know," admits Giles.

"Well, then I guess we will have to fight."

"Looks that way."

"Giles?"

"What?"

"It's been nice knowing you," says Dawn.

"Don't talk that way. We'll get out of here. We just have to come up with a plan."

"So… Come up with one already!"

"I am trying! If you think it is so easy, why don't you come up with one!"

"Okay," Dawn says calmly. "I got it. The perfect way for us to get out of here. We'll go through the front door!"

"Are you insane? We'll never get through there alive!"

"Precisely," says Dawn as she turns to Giles and pounces.

***

Buffy makes her way to the castle. She approaches silently, not wanting to attract attention to herself. She carefully makes her way up to the door and silently enters, unsure of what to expect. The place is eerily quiet. Cautiously, she moves though the entry hall and listens at a closed door. She hears nothing from inside, but has a strange feeling that she needs to see what is inside. She grips the handle and pulls the door open. She is shocked to see Riley, naked, sprawled on the floor of the room. She rushes to his side, falling to her knees beside him.

"Riley?" she asks as she turns him over and looks into his face. "Are you okay?" He moves a little, moaning in agony. She puts her hand under his head and lifts it gently from the floor. She bends down and kisses him gingerly on his forehead. He winces, and she pulls back, close to tears. She notices bruises all over his body. She looks around, and then gently helps him to a nearby chair.

"What happened?" she asks. Riley opens his mouth to speak, but, as he glances at the door, he gasps and closes his mouth. Buffy turns to face the door, and sees Xander standing there, staring at her with a look of hatred on his face. She is amazed, and more than a little frightened, by the way his eyes now look.

"Buffy," says Xander. "Welcome to my new home. I see you have let yourself inside."

"What have you done to him?" demands Buffy as she steps between Riley and Xander.

"You never cared about me or my actions before," hisses Xander. "Why start now? Because it involves your boy-toy?"

"Xander, what is going on?"

"Don't you get it, Buffy? This is all about you. You were never interested in me. You never gave me a chance. You were too busy with everyone else's wants and needs. So, I decided to get your attention. Have I succeeded?"

"You have always had my attention, as well as my friendship. I thought you understood that," says Buffy.

"It was never enough," explains Xander. "So, I decided to take from you everything that you hold dear."

"So, you made my friends and family into vampires? Is that what you think it will take to make me love you?"

"I no longer care to make you love me. I only want to make you suffer."

"Looks like you want everyone to suffer," says Buffy as she gestures toward Riley.

"The man needed to learn his place. So… I dominated him. In _every_ possible way," smirks Xander. Buffy, wide-eyed, looks back at Riley. He looks up into her eyes and nods solemnly. 

"What exactly does that mean?" Buffy asks.

"He raped me," whispers Riley.

"What?" Buffy demands.

"I had to prove I am superior to him in every way. I needed you to see him like this. Miserable. Pathetic. It serves you right. Both of you."

"You're not just evil, you're insane!" screams Buffy.

"Maybe," says Xander as he laughs maniacally. "But, at least I have now have the power to do whatever I choose, whenever I choose."

"So," asks Buffy, as she places her hands on her hips. "What is it you want?"

"To make you suffer!" hisses Xander. "To make you suffer as much as I have had to, waiting in the wings, hoping that you would notice me. Make you suffer for all the pain you have caused everyone who has ever entered your life!"

"I do suffer!" screams Buffy. "I suffer everyday! Do you think I like watching the people I love be in danger just because they know me? Do you think I like being the Slayer? It isn't as if I had a choice in the matter!"

"That is not enough," says Xander. "I want you to suffer like you have never suffered before!"

"I do!" cries Buffy as she drops her hands to her sides and looks at the floor, sobbing.

"That's a start," says Xander as he steps closer to her. She sucks in a sharp breath and, in one smooth movement, spins around and kicks Xander in the chest, sending him flying backwards, out of the room. He slams against the wall opposite the doorway and falls to the floor. Buffy takes a step closer to him, and then stops.

"End this," whispers Riley. Buffy turns to face him. "Please." Nodding, Buffy reaches out and grabs the arm of the chair that Riley is sitting in. She twists the arm of the chair and yanks it upward. She uses the splintering piece of wood to stab Riley in his chest.

"Thank you," he says as he turns to dust. Tears stream down Buffy's face as she watches him disappear. 

She turns around to deal with Xander, but he is no longer in the hallway. She looks around, but can't see him. Cautiously, she walks to the doorway and peers out into the hall. There is no one around. She is about to take a step into the hall when the front door opens. She steps backward and pushes the door up, leaving it open just a little so that she can peek out. She gasps as she sees Dawn walk in, followed by Giles. Pushing the door closed, she looks around, seeking a way to escape. Finally, she spots an open window. She runs across the room and dives through the window.

***

Willow pulls herself to her feet and looks around. She can feel the power coursing through her veins again. She closes her eyes and concentrates for a couple of seconds. When she opens her eyes again, she is healed. Carefully, she makes her way to the top of the stairs. She sees Dawn and Giles enter the castle. She turns and enters the nearest room. She walks over to the window and jumps out, rolling as she lands in the grass below. 

Getting quickly to her feet, she casts one short glance over her shoulder at the castle. She then turns and heads into Sunnydale. If Xander thought she was trouble before, he should just wait. When Willow comes back to this castle, it will be to end Xander's existence once and for all. She smiles and starts humming as she makes her way through the streets of Sunnydale.

***

"I'm bored!" whines Dawn as she stares out the window. "Why can't we go look for her?"

"Because I don't want you to," says Xander. Everyone in the room turns to look at him. "I want Buffy to suffer. But, I also want some time to set up for her death. I don't want you all killing her too soon. Or, as would more likely be the case, I don't want _her_ killing _you_. I have big plans for all of you, and they will only work if you don't go out and get yourselves staked."

"Like Riley?" asks Dawn.

"Riley was a fool," hisses Xander. "He was a waste of my time. I should have just killed him to start with, and saved myself the trouble of fighting with him."

"But, you _liked_ the fighting," purrs Joyce as she shifts position on the couch. "I could see it in your eyes."

"Yes," says Xander. "But, that doesn't mean I wanted to be fighting with him. I had plans for him, and he went and ruined them. Though, he _did_ have quite an appetite for destruction."

"And, what about Willow?" asks Tara. 

"If she has learned her place," says Xander with an evil smirk, "then she still has a role in my final plan. Otherwise, she will be the first one to die from my new powers."

"I see," says Tara.

"When do we get to play?" asks Giles. "I haven't even gotten to kill anyone yet!"

"In time. You will have a chance to do all the killing you want. Just, not at the moment. Right now, I need you to help me in the library. The rest of you… Amuse yourselves, but don't leave the castle. Understood?" 

There is a murmur of response, but Xander pays it no mind. He turns and leaves the room, with Giles following him closely. Xander marvels at the thought of Giles being the underling. It is a twist of fate that Xander relishes. All of those years spent in the library, searching for something to help, wanting desperately to be able to contribute, and almost always being overlooked were over. Now, he is the one in charge, and everyone will do as he says, or they will die. 

***

"What do I do now?" sobs Buffy as she wanders aimlessly through the streets of Sunnydale. She looks around, trying to come up with some place where she can turn. Everyone she knows and trusts is now a vampire, and she can't think of a single place to go. Then, she remembers that there is still one place she can turn, but she isn't sure that she wants to. It has been so long since she has seen Angel, and she doesn't want to stir up any of the old feelings that the two of them still have for each other. Besides, he is still in LA, and that is a long way for her to go on foot. Finally, she realizes what she has to do, and she starts to make her final plans.

***

As soon as Xander has left the room, the girls all exchange a glance. They each have the same idea, and their smiles prove it. Anya stands up and goes to the door. She watches Giles mindlessly following Xander. Her smile widens as she closes the door and turns back to her companions. Dawn is the first one out the window, followed by Tara, then Joyce, and finally, Anya. They start to giggle as they make their way toward Sunnydale.

"And, you're sure he won't notice our absence?" asks Dawn.

  
"Are you kidding?" says Tara. "First of all, he is so busy with his own plans that he won't even be bothered to check up on us. Second, he thinks we're powerless, since he drained magic from Willow and me. And, finally, I have some spells in place to make sure that our absence goes unnoticed."

"Cool," says Dawn.

"Besides," adds Anya. "I don't think that he will have much time to deal with us, once he learns that Willow has taken off. He'll be much more interested in finding her, since he sees her as the bad seed."

"Willow took off, too?" asks Tara, her face showing concern.

  
"You know, you haven't really changed that much," says Joyce. "From what you were like before you were sired."

  
"I told her the same thing earlier," says Dawn, chuckling.

"It's because of who she is," explains Anya. The others turn to her, waiting for her to explain. "See, when someone is sired, their innermost fears, secrets, and desires come to the front. For most people, that means that they turn truly evil, because they have fought their own fears, or secret desires, of doing just that: becoming evil. But, in Tara's case… All of her inner fears and secrets…"

"There is one thing…" confesses Tara.

"Really?" asks Dawn. "What?"

"I have always felt that I was going to become a demon. It… It was how my mother died."

"Really?" asks Dawn, again. "That is so cool!"

"Anyway," says Anya. "All of her desires… They were truly pure. The things that she kept secret have now been revealed, and so…"

"All that remains is who I was then," concludes Tara. 

"Right," continues Anya. "There was no evil there, so when she was sired, only small differences took place, instead of a great change, like with Xander."

"But, her worst fear has come true!" exclaims Dawn. Everyone turns to look at her. She continues: "That is just… _Awesome_!"

"Okay, fine," says Tara. "But… I am worried about Willow."

"See what I mean," Anya says as she sighs deeply. "Some things never change." She turns to face Tara. "Listen… There is nothing that you can do now. Willow made her decision, and we have no way to track her. Let's just see what we can find to amuse ourselves, okay?"

"No!" hisses Tara. "I have to go find Willow!"

"Fine. Whatever," says Anya. "_I_ am going to go have some fun." She casts a glance at Joyce and Dawn, who smile menacingly. "If anyone wishes to join me…"

"Count me in," says Joyce.

"Me, too!" says Dawn. The three of them continue to head into downtown Sunnydale, while Tara stands there trying to decide what to do next. Finally, Tara makes her decision, and sneaks back into the castle to get the supplies she needs to track down Willow.

***

Willow sits on the couch, trying to convince herself that she knows Buffy well enough to anticipate her moves. Willow is certain that Buffy will come to this place as the last resort. She had heard everything when Xander had his encounter with the Slayer, and she knew that Buffy had seen Giles enter the castle. There was nothing left for Buffy. No home, no friends, no lover. The Magic Box had been destroyed, and Buffy would only be able to think of one place to turn for answers. And that was why Willow was sitting on Giles's couch, holding the books that she was so certain Buffy would be looking for.

***

Buffy wishes she had not wandered so aimlessly while trying to make her decision. Now, she was on the opposite side of town from her destination, and wasn't sure she would be able to make it to Giles's apartment before she collapsed from pure exhaustion. As she turns a corner and heads through an alley, she hears a voice that chills her to the bone. 

"That was fun!" Joyce says excitedly. "Too bad they all died so quickly."

"Yeah, that was a major letdown," says Dawn.

"Girls," coos Anya. "The night is still young! There are a lot of stupid people in this town who actually think it is safe to be out after dark! Let's just find someone else!"

"How about an old friend?" asks Buffy as she steps from the shadows to confront the three vampires. All three vampires gasp and turn to face her. She has already determined her course of action. She walks calmly along the side of the building, as if she has nothing to fear. 

"Buffy," says Dawn with an evil grin. "How wonderful of you to show up. I was wondering if I would get the chance to see you again."

"Really?" Buffy asks, acting genuinely interested in what her sister has to say. "And… Why would that be?"

"Because," hisses Dawn as she morphs into her vampire guise and steps forward. "I'm not the poor defenseless little sister anymore, and… I think I can take you!"

"Try it," Buffy challenges as she spreads her arms. She waves her fingers at Dawn in a "come get me" gesture. Dawn pounces.

"No!" scream Joyce and Anya simultaneously as Dawn launches herself into the air and flies towards Buffy. Buffy stands there for a fraction of a second, and then, in a blur of motion, she steps out of the way, bends down, grabs a piece of wood and brings it up into the air. As the vampire that was once her sister lands on the ground where Buffy had stood a moment before, Buffy stabs her through the heart with the makeshift stake she got from the ground. Ash rains down to the ground, and Buffy twirls to face Anya and Joyce. They are gone.

"Dammit!" swears Buffy as she drops the wood and heads to Giles's house once more. She walks slowly, feeling slightly energized by the battle, but still cautious. Just because she could no longer see Joyce and Anya did not mean that they weren't around. There was no telling who or what she might encounter before she got to her destination, and she had to be prepared for anything.

***

Tara gathers the things she needs, and prepares to do her spell. She decides that the best place for her to start is in Willow's room, so she carefully walks past the library in order to get there. As she steps in front of the doors, she notices that one is slightly ajar. If it had been closed, then the voices from within would have been totally muffled, and she would not have been able to catch Xander asking Giles what he thought the next logical step should be. Tara stops and listens.

"Obviously, you have to secure Sunnydale first," explains Giles. "Killing Buffy will ensure that. Then, after you have control of Sunnydale…"

"Yes? Go ahead. Speak freely. I asked for your advice, and I want to know what you really feel should be done," says Xander.

"Well," begins Giles. "After you have control of Sunnydale, you should take out the next closest threat."

"Which would be?" asks Xander. 

"Faith," says Giles. "And Angel. And anyone working for Angel, which I know includes Cordelia and Wes. Which, of course, brings up the next problem…"

"Next problem?" asks Xander, as if he can't believe what he is hearing.

"The Council. With Faith's death, a new Slayer will be called, and this will immediately alert the council. They will use their contacts to find out what is happening, and then, they will come after you, in one way or another."

"So… I need to get rid of the damned Watchers' Council, then?"

"Yes," says Giles. There is a pause. "You have a plan already?"

"Of course!" says Xander. "But first, we have to deal with Buffy."

Tara rolls her eyes and continues on her way to Willow's room. Once there, she sets down her supplies and prepares for her spell. It only takes her a couple of moments to set the spell up, and, as she finishes her incantation and the small light appears before her face, the door swings open, and Xander enters the room.

***

"Why did you drag me away like that?" demands Anya. "What about what Buffy did to Dawn?"

"What about it?" hisses Joyce. "Dawn was stupid. She went after a Slayer who had initiated an encounter. She was stupid to believe she even had a chance. Buffy obviously had a plan of some sort, and Dawn fell right into it!"

"But, Dawn…"

"Dawn should have kept her anger under control," Joyce says. "She is gone. I don't intend to join her." She turns and walks away. After a couple of seconds, Anya appears at her side again.

"What do we do now?" Anya asks.

"I don't know about you, but I am headed back to the castle. This whole trip was a mistake. We should have done as Xander told us."

"What?" demands Anya as she stops. She grabs Joyce's arm and causes her to turn around. "You can't seriously think he actually knows what is best for us!"

"And, why not?"

"Because!" screams Anya. "Because he's _Xander_ for starters! And… And, he's… He's a _man_! No man has ever known what to do! That is why women are always needed! That is why vengeance demons are needed!"

"Anya," says Joyce, in her best motherly voice. "You have a lot of issues that you need to work through." She pulls her arm out of Anya's grip and turns around. "Now, I don't care what you do, but I am going back to the castle," she calls over her shoulder. She smiles a few seconds later as Anya sighs and follows.

***

"What the hell?" asks Buffy. She is standing in the doorway to Giles's apartment, staring, dumbfounded, at Willow.

"Buffy!" says Willow as she jumps to her feet and smiles. "I was hoping you would come here!"

"Yeah," says Buffy. For a second, she thinks she is being addressed by her old friend. It seems like the real Willow is standing there, smiling at her. Then, she realizes that Willow is gone, forever. She frowns and takes a step backwards.

"Aww," pouts Willow. "Now, don't be like that. If I had planned to attack you, I would have done it already. The way I see it, we need each other. More now than ever, actually."

"Um, right," says Buffy. "What with you being a vampire and all. Sure. I can see how I would need you."

"Hmm… I was afraid you might bring that up," Willow sighs. "Look, just because I am a vampire now doesn't mean we can't still be friends!"

"The hell it doesn't!" hisses Buffy.

  
"Look!" screams Willow. "Do you want my help or not? You know you can't defeat Xander by yourself! Even if you found the proper spells, you still wouldn't know how to perform them properly, and… To be honest, I am not even certain that there are any spells that will defeat him!"

"Why should I believe you? You're _evil_!"

"God!" swears Willow. "Can we just get _past_ that already? So I am evil! That doesn't mean I can't want to help you!"

"Yes it can," says Buffy, with that air of irony that only the Slayer can muster. 

"Alright," says Willow, defeated. "The truth is, I am not here to help you so much as harm him."

"Meaning?"

  
"Meaning that I want to kill him more than I want to kill you," Willow confesses. She shrugs. "Enemy of my enemy, and whatnot…"

"So… Supposing I let you help… What happens then? You kill me?"

"I thought about it. But then I remembered something…"

"What?"

"Spike and Drusilla. You made a deal with them back when Angel had lost his soul… In exchange for their help, you would let them leave town. I am asking for the same deal."

"I don't know," says Buffy. She wants so much to have an ally in this battle, but she also wants to avoid putting herself into more danger than necessary.

"Okay, then…" says Willow. "How about this… I will tell you my plan, and then you can decide. Fair enough?"

"Okay," agrees Buffy, reluctantly.

***

The ball of light hovers in the air, awaiting instructions. Tara stands where she is, uncertain what to do. Xander smiles, and chills race down Tara's spine as she feels those dark eyes glaring at her. She starts to tremble. Xander takes a step into the room and looks around. He nods, as if he has just confirmed something, and waves his arm. The ball of light disappears. Despite already having the pallor of the undead, Tara pales. She gulps, and prepares for what she believes _must_ be coming next. To her surprise, Xander lets out a low, barely audible chuckle.

"You won't need that," he tells her. "I know exactly where Willow is."

  
"What? You mean you knew what I was trying to do?"

"Not exactly. However, I did know that if I pushed Willow to the breaking point, she would go to Buffy and bring her back here. Willow thinks it will be to defeat me, but… I have been preparing for this from the start. I _needed_ Willow to get so angry with me that she would be willing to make a deal with Buffy. That is why I continued to attack her even after she had called me master. Now, she believes she is working against me, when, in reality, she is doing exactly as I planned."

"Oh," says Tara. She has no idea what else to do. "So… What do we do now?"

"We wait. Joyce and Anya will be returning shortly, and then, we will set up for the final confrontation."

"Joyce and Anya? What about Dawn?"

"Dawn is gone. Buffy staked her."

"What?" Tara asks, not believing what she just heard.

"It's her own fault, really. She shouldn't have lunged like that. She had to know Buffy was up to something. She was… Stupid. And, now she is dead." He turns to face the doorway and then smiles. "Ah… Joyce and Anya are back now. We can begin the final preparations."

***

"So…" begins Buffy, "just exactly what are you wanting to do?"

"I am going to curse him!" hisses Willow. "He seems to think that he has drained my magic… That was just my reserves, and I refuel quickly!" She looks up at Buffy, revealing that her eyes are completely black. Buffy shudders and takes a step backwards.

"Okay," she says. "So, how do I fit into your plan?"

"Well, to put it simply… You are my distraction. I need you to get in there and force him to use his magic against you. To drain him. Then, he will become vulnerable, as the magic leaves him. That is when I will make my move. He has not even begun to imagine the hell I can create for him!"

"So… Basically, I am expendable, then?" Buffy asks.

"Well," says Willow. "If you want to think of it in those terms, then… Yes. I suppose you are. However, you are also a vital part of the plan. See… Xander doesn't just want to kill you."

"Oh, well, _that_ makes me feel _so_ much better!" Buffy cries.

"I mean… He wants you to suffer… More than you already have. He won't be willing to just kill you outright. You can use that to your advantage, can't you?"

"I… I suppose. I still don't see why I should bother, though. I mean, I am not seeing the part of this that is good for _me_."

"You will give me time to set my spell in motion. Once I am done… He will be in eternal torment!" screeches Willow as she starts cackling. Buffy takes another step away from her.

"So, what exactly are you going to do to him?"

"That's the best part," says Willow as she looks up at Buffy. Buffy smiles at the excitement in that face. Her smile fades as she remembers that the creature in front of her is _not_ her friend. Willow explains: "It's a simple curse, really… I took that spell that the gypsies used to give Angel his soul, and… I fixed it, Buffy! I made it so that it is permanent! There will be no way for him to get rid of the soul, and… I added a few other surprises for him, too! He's gonna wish he was never sired!"

As Willow laughs maniacally and goes back to concentrating on the spell books, Buffy walks over to the window and stares out into the night. The moon is hidden behind clouds, and there are no stars visible in the darkness above her. There are no sounds, either. She had thought that there would be crickets at least, but there is nothing. She has never felt so alone in all of her life. She turns back to Willow, who is lost in the books and spells. 

"So," she says. "How soon will you be ready?"

  
"In a hurry?" asks Willow.

"Yes," sighs Buffy. "I want this whole nightmare to end as soon as possible."

"I will be ready about half an hour before dawn. That should give us time to get to the castle before the sun rises. Perhaps you should get some sleep. I don't want you to be sluggish when you are fighting Xander. That is one fight that can't end too soon, or else all will be lost."

"I'm not tired," Buffy assures her. "Besides, I don't think I could sleep if I wanted to."

"I can fix that," Willow says absently as she waves her hand in Buffy's direction. Buffy falls to the floor, asleep.

***

"So, you all know what you are to do, then?" asks Xander.

"Of course," says Tara as she looks at the others.

"Sure," says Joyce.

"I know," says Anya. "But… Where is Giles?"

"Giles is taking care of another problem. Unfortunately, we will never see him again, as he is on a kamikaze mission."

  
"What?" asks Anya.

"He is on his way to England, to have a special meeting with the Council of Watchers. He is going to destroy them all for me. And, himself in the process, unfortunately."

"How could you do that?" demands Anya.

  
"He volunteered," Xander tells her in dismissive voice. "Besides, he knows better than I do how to get to them. Okay! We are set. Now, we just wait for them to show up. I imagine it will be sometime before dawn, or else shortly after. I expect you all to do what is expected of you."

"We will," they say in one voice.

Xander stands up and walks out of the room. Joyce stands up and follows him, leaving Anya and Tara alone. 

"He is using her," Tara says in a low voice.

"Joyce? Really? What does he see in her?" asks Anya.

"Not Joyce," says Tara. "Willow. He has this all planned out. He expected her to leave. He was just waiting for her to slip out. He knows what she is planning, and he is using her to get Buffy here."

"So what?"

"So… Oh, never mind. I am sure it is nothing. I… I just hope he hasn't underestimated her. Especially after humiliating her like he did."

"Well, if Willow and Xander get into a fight, I am staying out of it. I will support whoever wins," says Anya.

"We all do what we feel we must," says Tara as she stands up and leaves the room.

***

"Buffy!" says Willow.

"Huh?" says Buffy as she comes out of her sleep. She looks up at Willow, and smiles. "Willow! You won't believe the nightmare I had!" She uses Willow for support and sits up. She looks around and sighs. "It really happened," she says.

"It's time," Willow tells her, as if Buffy had not even spoken.

"Fine," Buffy sighs. "Let's end this."

"Yes. Let's," says Tara as she enters the apartment. Willow and Buffy turn to face her.

"Tara? But… Why?" asks Willow.

"Because, I thought you could use some help."

"But…" says Willow, as if she is uncertain what is happening. Then, she stiffens and looks around. "How do I know this isn't one of Xander's tricks?"

"Hell," says Tara. "Maybe it is. I mean, I think I came here on my own, but… He knew what you would do, and is ready for you to return to the castle, so I figure he probably knew what I would do when he told me… I just don't know anymore, Willow."

"What are you talking about?" demands Willow.

As Tara starts explaining, Buffy quickly scribbles a note, slips outside and heads for the castle.

***

"They will be here soon," says Xander.

"Does that mean we have to stop?" asks Joyce as she reaches to the floor and grabs her clothes.

"Not at all," says Xander as he grabs hold of the older woman and pulls her closer to him.

"Good," adds Anya as she presses her naked body against him. "Because, I am just getting warmed up." She bares her fangs and then buries them in Joyce's neck. Joyce does the same thing to Anya, and as the blood drips down their bodies, Xander licks it greedily. The three of them are experiencing a rush that no mortal could ever hope to understand. The combination of bloodlust and the physical nature of sex is more intoxicating to them than any drug could ever be to a human.

"Oh, my _God_!" says Buffy as she steps into the room. "That is the last thing I ever wanted to see!" She kicks a cabinet close to the door, and as it falls to pieces, she grabs a long piece of jagged wood and crosses the room. She sees Xander looking at her, and she stares into his eyes as she shoves the stake completely through Joyce's body and into Anya's. Both of them turn to look at Buffy, identical expressions of shock on their faces for an instant, before they turn to ash. As the ashes fall, Xander jumps to his feet and knocks Buffy across the room with a bolt of magic.

Buffy smashes against the wall and falls to the floor. She shakes her head to try to clear it, and then looks around. Xander is standing in the middle of the room, naked. He stares at her with those eerie eyes, and she smiles. He looks around the room, and then settles his gaze back on Buffy. She slowly climbs to her feet.

"Not what you were expecting, is it?" she asks.

"How…" mumbles Xander. Then, he knows. He was pre-occupied by Joyce and Anya. "It doesn't matter," he tells Buffy. "You will be just as dead when I am finished with you as you would have been had you not caught me… Off guard."

"Do you know how many times I have been threatened like that?" Buffy asks.

"It doesn't matter," Xander says again. He raises his hand, and releases a bolt of energy. Buffy jumps out of the room. Xander smiles and slowly walks after her. "You can't get away from me," he calls out to her as he enters the hall. "I am going to find you, and I am going to kill you when I do!" His voice echoes throughout the castle, but Buffy doesn't answer. He slowly walks from room to room, searching for her.

***

"Where is Buffy?" Willow asks, after she has listened to Tara's explanation. She looks around and notices the note that Buffy left. She picks it up and reads it. After studying it for a couple of minutes, she crumples it in her hand and faces Tara again. "Do you really mean to help?"

"Of course," says Tara.

"Good. We had better get started, then." Willow grabs Tara by the wrist and leads her to the center of the living room. Willow waves her hand, and the room is emptied. She hands Tara a container. "Draw a pentagram on the floor."

"Okay," says Tara as she examines the container. It takes her a moment to realize that it is a human heart. She smiles as she begins pouring the blood onto the floor, forming the required symbol. By the time she is finished, Willow has already placed and lit several black candles. "What are we doing?" Tara asks her.

"We're getting revenge," whispers Willow.

***

"I don't want to fight you," screams Buffy.

"Then, what would we do?" Xander asks.

"I…" says Buffy as she steps out of her hiding place and stares at Xander. "I give up. You have taken everything from me. Even if I had a chance of winning this battle, what would be the point? I have no reason to go on. There is nothing left for me." She hangs her head and takes a deep breath. She looks up at him, pulls her sleeve down over her shoulder, and cocks her head to the side. "Take me," she tells him.

Xander steps in front of her, and places his finger beneath her chin. He pulls his hand upward, forcing her to look at him. He quickly scans her face, and sees, with a bit of a shock, that she means what she has just said. He drops his hand and backs up. Suddenly, he slaps her, causing her to fall to the ground. She looks up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Do whatever you want to me, but…" she chokes, then clears her voice. "Just end it for me. I can't go on."

"No… That would be pure hell for you, wouldn't it?" he hisses as he reaches down and pulls her to her feet. "It's time to see if a Slayer can be sired," he says as he sinks his fangs into her neck. She stands there, in his embrace, and feels the life draining out of her. As she grows weaker, he wraps his arms around her, as if she is his lover, and holds her to him. Finally, sweet oblivion overtakes her, and she loses consciousness.

***

"Buffy?" comes a voice that Buffy doesn't recognize. She opens her eyes, and sees someone she has never met before. He smiles at her, then turns away. "Quentin," he calls. "She's awake." A moment later, Buffy is staring up into the face of Quentin Travers, the head of the Council.

"What?" asks Buffy. "How?"

"You had some help," says Quentin. "Although I don't approve of your methods, the final result is what matters. And, in this case, the final result was the destruction of one of the most powerful, and perhaps the most evil, creatures you have encountered."

"My… Methods?" Buffy asks.

"Making deals with vampires is not our policy," Quentin tells her. "Especially if those vampires are also witches." Buffy opens her mouth to say something, but Quentin holds up his hand. "It's fine," he tells her. "They really are on our side."

Buffy forces herself to sit up, and looks around. She is in a hospital bed, but the room is not part of any hospital she has ever seen before. It is lined with wood paneling, and carpeted. There are two large windows in the wall opposite the door, and other than that, the room is bare, except for the light fixture in the center of the ceiling. She returns her gaze to Quentin, who is the only other person in the room. Buffy doesn't remember the other guy leaving, but decides it doesn't matter. Quentin just looks at her.

"What is this place?" Buffy asks.

"It is one of the rooms in a mansion owned by the Council. You will stay here until you are ready to return to active duty. I am just thankful that you were not the active Slayer. I couldn't deal with a new Slayer right now," he tells her as he turns and heads to the door. He stops just inside the room and turns back to her. "Yes, you died. _Again._ Let's not make a habit of this, okay? Oh… And you have visitors." With that, he turns again and steps out of the room.

Buffy sits in her bed, wondering who the visitors could be. When Willow and Tara enter the room, Buffy about falls out of her bed. As they walk up to the bed, Buffy searches frantically for something that she can use as a weapon. There is nothing around! She throws her feet off the bed and attempts to stand up. Willow and Tara rush to her side and manage to catch her as she starts to collapse. They help her back into the bed.

"I… I don't understand," Buffy says.

"Yeah," says Willow. "I suppose I should explain. There was a last minute change of plans."

"I know," Buffy tells her. "When Tara showed up, I wrote that note, and went to the castle."

"That was the start of the changes in the plan," explains Tara. Buffy just stares at her.

"We did the spell, but we changed it a little," Willow says with a smile. "Instead of giving Xander a soul…"

"She gave us souls, instead," concludes Tara.

"And, they're permanent," adds Willow. "No clause about happiness!"

  
"Yes… That would have been most unfortunate," Tara says, as she blushes as smiles at Willow.

"Okay," Buffy tells them as she tries to process the information she has just received. "But… What about Xander?"

"When I read your note, I knew exactly what to do," explains Willow. "I knew that Xander would drink your blood, either in an attempt to sire you, or else to just kill you. I used a spell to poison your blood!"

"What?" shrieks Buffy as she sits up in the bed again.

"Oh… Only to vampires," Tara tells her. "That way, we got rid of Xander, and helped you in the process. Unfortunately, we didn't get to you in time, and…"

"You died," Willow says. "We called for an ambulance. We were with you when the Council members showed up to bring you here. Seems Giles killed himself, after all. He just… He didn't get any of the Council Members when he did it."

"What? Giles?"

"Oh… Yeah. Giles was sent here to take out the Council, but he messed up, and ended up killing himself. When the Council discovered what was going on, they rushed to Sunnydale, and brought you back here."

"So…" begins Buffy. "What happens now?"

"Now? Well, now we wait for you to get healed up, and we go back to Sunnydale, I suppose," says Tara.

"Yeah… You're getting a new Watcher, and we will be given a place to live, and… We are going to be the official guardians of the Hellmouth!" Willow says.

"No!" screams Buffy as she leaps form her bed. "I am done with it! I am no longer a Slayer! I quit!"

"You can't quit," Quentin tells her as he walks back into the room.

"Watch me," declares Buffy as she storms past him and out into the hall. 

"Buffy!" calls Willow. "Wait!"

"No! I am done! I don't want to be a Slayer anymore! I don't want to go back to Sunnydale! There is nothing left for me there!"

"Okay," says Willow as she hurries to catch up. "But… You really should get dressed!" Buffy looks down at herself, and then quickly pulls the back of her gown together.

"Willow…" Buffy stares into the eyes of her friend. "What do I do now?" She reaches out to Willow for support, but misses, and falls to the floor. She looks around, and discovers that she is lying on the floor of the castle, back in Sunnydale. Slowly, she sits up. Xander, Willow, and Tara appear in doorway. As they move into the room, Buffy shrinks back. "What is happening?" she asks.

"You're one of us now," says Xander as he looks down at her. Buffy reaches up and feels her face. She is a vampire.

"No!" she screams.


End file.
